US Navy destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur departed Yokosuka, Japan on September 5 with carrier strike group 5 while the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville followed suit on September 7.
The ships will be operating with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
Curtis Wilbur’s departure is following a one-month continuous maintenance availability (CMAV) period at Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
While in port the crew completed total ship readiness assessment I and II, continuous maintenance availability, and earned the ship’s search and rescue and antiterrorism force protection certifications. Additionally, the ship received a ballistic missile defense upgrade and the engineering department recertified for maintenance and material management.
USS Chancellorsville sailors spent their time in Yokosuka preparing for the upcoming underway with multiple training exercises. These exercises included, loss of steering drills, low visibility training, man overboard drills, engineering drills, small boat operations, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) evolutions, and crash and salvage drills.
The ships are slated to participate in a number of exercises during the patrol. These exercises will be focused on integration of joint training among U.S. forces in support of current operational plans.