ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

U.S. aircraft carrier and MSDF helicopter destroyer conduct joint exercises in disputed South China Sea

Sailors perform flight operations on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on Saturday in the South China Sea. | U.S. NAVY

By Jesse Johnson
Staff Writer

Mar 13, 2018

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has kicked off bilateral exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, including one of the largest vessels in Japan's fleet, in the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday.

The navy, which said the Vinson was on a "regularly scheduled deployment in the Western Pacific," said the Vinson and the USS Wayne E. Meyer guided-missile destroyer were conducting combined operations with the MSDF's Ise helicopter destroyer as part of drills aimed at bolstering maritime interoperability between the long-standing allies.

The navy said the exercises had kicked off Sunday as both ships transited the South China Sea.

U.S. aircraft carrier and MSDF helicopter destroyer conduct joint exercises in disputed South China Sea

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