US Navy, JMSDF ready for MultiSail 2018

US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) sailors and personnel are all set for seven days of bilateral exercises as part of exercise MultiSail 2018 which starts March 8.

MultiSail is an annual bilateral training exercise that improves interoperability between US and Japanese forces.

In 2018 the focus of the exercise will be on improving fundamental skills such as tracking and defeating submarines, combatting other surface forces, live fire training, and interoperability with US and JMSDF units.

“MultiSail is an opportunity for our ships to increase our combat proficiency at sea,” said Capt. Jon Duffy, commander, Destroyer Squadron 15. “We have designed MultiSail to exercise how we detect, locate, track and engage simulated units at sea, in the air, on land, and underwater with our Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force allies to help us increase our interoperability in a range of mission areas.”

Participants include USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Mustin (DDG 89), JS Fuyuzuki (DD-118), and a number of subsurface and other special units.

“MultiSail 2018 provide us a valuable opportunity to increase JMSDF tactical capabilities and to strengthen our interoperability with our U.S. Navy allies,” said Cmdr. Kazuteru Hirano, JS Fuyuzuki’s commanding officer. “The Japan-U.S. alliance is stronger than it has ever been, and it is growing stronger.”

The lessons learned from exercises like MultiSail 2018 will assist the US Navy and JMSDF to develop regional capabilities that provide a full range of options in defense of their interests and those of their allies and partners around the world.