Latest news with #Kaga
Japan Times
17-02-2025
- Japan Times
Japan's SDF destroyers are being converted into aircraft carriers
The Maritime Self-Defense Force is upgrading its Izumo and Kaga destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers, equipping them to operate the F-35B stealth fighter, which features short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. Performance tests conducted in October and November last year, with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, confirmed that the upgraded Kaga can accommodate the F-35B without issue. The Izumo is scheduled to undergo its second upgrade this year, while the Air Self-Defense Force will begin F-35B training. Actual deployment is not expected to start in the near future, however.
Japan Times
14-02-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Japan, U.S., France hold joint naval exercise in Pacific
The Maritime Self-Defense Force said Thursday that it has begun the Pacific Steller joint exercise with the U.S. and French navies in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. This is the first drill involving MSDF vessels along with U.S. and French aircraft carriers. From Japan, the MSDF destroyer Kaga, which is becoming a de facto aircraft carrier, and others joined the exercise. It is unusual for Japan to conduct a drill with aircraft carriers of other countries in the sea area. The joint drill, which will last until Tuesday, is apparently aimed at keeping China in check. Participating in the drill were patrol aircraft and a total of 11 vessels including the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. It is the first time since the 1960s that a French aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Pacific. On Thursday, two vessels belonging to the aircraft carrier strike group centered on the Charles de Gaulle called at the U.S. naval facility White Beach in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture. The port call was part of efforts to strengthen cooperation with allies and friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region, in light of China's increasing assertiveness. The joint exercise included antisubmarine and antiaircraft combat training, MSDF officials said. The MSDF plans to upgrade the Kaga into an aircraft carrier by operating it with F-35B fighter jets. Last year, the destroyer underwent a major renovation of its bow and conducted landing tests with U.S. military aircraft.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A flurry of international naval drills around the Philippines prompts complaints from Beijing
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A flurry of naval drills surrounding the Philippines involving the United States and its partners has prompted complaints from Beijing, which claims the entire South China Sea and accuses Manila of colluding with others to destabilize the region. The U.S. 7th Fleet based in Japan said forces from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. conducted a 'multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity' within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday. Such drills 'strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures," the fleet said in a news release. The maneuvers were taking place within the Philippines' zone, but the fleet gave no details on the exact location. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. More exercises involving the U.S., Japan and France were planned for later this week in the Philippines Sea, which China does not claim. That exercise 'is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations,' the fleet said. The U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, French carrier Charles De Gaulle and Japan's Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer Kaga will take part in the drill starting Saturday, along with their escorts and air wings, the fleet said. France's participation is especially significant because of the distance from its home base, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away in Toulouse, commander of the Carrier Strike Group Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Tian Junli, spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command, accused the Philippines of 'colluding with outside countries to organize 'so-called joint patrols', " which he said 'destabilize the region," Chinese state media said on Thursday. Tian said the Philippines actions were 'an attempt to endorse its 'illegal claims' in the South China Sea and 'undermine China's maritime rights and interests." He specifically pointed to U.S.-Philippines joint patrols on Tuesday and said China had carried out its own patrols in the region on Wednesday. China is one of six regional powers that claims the strategic South China Sea in part or in whole, ignoring a ruling by a United Nations-backed court that tossed out most of its claims and building human-made islands equipped with airstrips and other infrastructure of military use. China's coast guard and maritime militia frequently clash with ships from fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines. Though it claims not to disrupt shipping or overflights in the sea, through which an estimated $5 trillion in global trade transits each year, China is adamantly opposed to foreign military shipping in the area. The waterway is also believed to be sitting atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas and while China says it wants to come to a negotiated agreement about the use of the sea, such efforts have made little progress. China says the U.S. and other countries that don't border on the sea should have no say in affairs concerning it, although the U.S. — which takes no formal stand on sovereignty issues involving the sea — has maintained bases and alliances in the region long before China made its formal claim to sovereignty using the so-called 'eight dash line.' Beijing is especially angered over U.S. 'freedom of navigation operations' in which Navy ships sail close to Chinese-held maritime features to show Washington does not recognize China's sovereignty claims.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
A flurry of international naval drills around the Philippines prompts complaints from Beijing
A flurry of naval drills surrounding the Philippines involving the United States and its partners has prompted complaints from Beijing, which claims the entire South China Sea and accuses Manila of colluding with others to destabilize the region. The U.S. 7th Fleet based in Japan said forces from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. conducted a 'multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity' within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday. Such drills 'strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures," the fleet said in a news release. The maneuvers were taking place within the Philippines' zone, but the fleet gave no details on the exact location. More exercises involving the U.S., Japan and France were planned for later this week in the Philippines Sea, which China does not claim. That exercise 'is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations,' the fleet said. The U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, French carrier Charles De Gaulle and Japan's Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer Kaga will take part in the drill starting Saturday, along with their escorts and air wings, the fleet said. France's participation is especially significant because of the distance from its home base, 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away in Toulouse, commander of the Carrier Strike Group Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Tian Junli, spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command, accused the Philippines of 'colluding with outside countries to organize 'so-called joint patrols', " which he said 'destabilize the region," Chinese state media said on Thursday. Tian said the Philippines actions were 'an attempt to endorse its 'illegal claims' in the South China Sea and 'undermine China's maritime rights and interests." He specifically pointed to U.S.-Philippines joint patrols on Tuesday and said China had carried out its own patrols in the region on Wednesday. China is one of six regional powers that claims the strategic South China Sea in part or in whole, ignoring a ruling by a United Nations-backed court that tossed out most of its claims and building human-made islands equipped with airstrips and other infrastructure of military use. China's coast guard and maritime militia frequently clash with ships from fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines. Though it claims not to disrupt shipping or overflights in the sea, through which an estimated $5 trillion in global trade transits each year, China is adamantly opposed to foreign military shipping in the area. The waterway is also believed to be sitting atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas and while China says it wants to come to a negotiated agreement about the use of the sea, such efforts have made little progress. China says the U.S. and other countries that don't border on the sea should have no say in affairs concerning it, although the U.S. — which takes no formal stand on sovereignty issues involving the sea — has maintained bases and alliances in the region long before China made its formal claim to sovereignty using the so-called 'eight dash line.' Beijing is especially angered over U.S. 'freedom of navigation operations' in which Navy ships sail close to Chinese-held maritime features to show Washington does not recognize China's sovereignty claims.
Al Arabiya
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
A flurry of international naval drills around the Philippines prompts complaints from Beijing
A flurry of naval drills surrounding the Philippines involving the US and its partners has prompted complaints from Beijing, which claims the entire South China Sea and accuses Manila of colluding with others to destabilize the region. The US 7th Fleet based in Japan said forces from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the US conducted a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday. 'Such drills strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures,' the fleet said in a news release. The maneuvers were taking place within the Philippines' zone, but the fleet gave no details on the exact location. More exercises involving the US, Japan, and France were planned for later this week in the Philippines Sea, which China does not claim. 'That exercise is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese, and US maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations,' the fleet said. The US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, French carrier Charles de Gaulle, and Japan's Izumo -class multi-functional destroyer Kaga will take part in the drill starting Saturday, along with their escorts and air wings, the fleet said. 'France's participation is especially significant because of the distance from its home base 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away in Toulouse,' commander of the Carrier Strike Group Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Tian Junli, spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command, accused the Philippines of colluding with outside countries to organize 'so-called joint patrols,' which he said destabilize the region, Chinese state media said on Thursday. Tian said the Philippines' actions were an attempt to endorse its illegal claims in the South China Sea and undermine China's maritime rights and interests. He specifically pointed to US–Philippines joint patrols on Tuesday and said China had carried out its own patrols in the region on Wednesday. China is one of six regional powers that claims the strategic South China Sea in part or in whole, ignoring a ruling by a UN-backed court that tossed out most of its claims and building human-made islands equipped with airstrips and other infrastructure of military use. China's coast guard and maritime militia frequently clash with ships from fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines. Though it claims not to disrupt shipping or overflights in the sea, through which an estimated five trillion dollars in global trade transits each year, China is adamantly opposed to foreign military shipping in the area. The waterway is also believed to be sitting atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas, and while China says it wants to come to a negotiated agreement about the use of the sea, such efforts have made little progress. China says the US and other countries that don't border on the sea should have no say in affairs concerning it, although the US – which takes no formal stand on sovereignty issues involving the sea – has maintained bases and alliances in the region long before China made its formal claim to sovereignty using the so-called 'eight dash line.' Beijing is especially angered over US freedom of navigation operations in which Navy ships sail close to Chinese-held maritime features to show Washington does not recognize China's sovereignty claims.
