Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit joined Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Murasame class destroyer JS Akebono (DD 108) for a series of collaborative events while sailing in the Philippine Sea and East China Sea, April 9-11. Operating together for the first time, America and Akebono conducted bilateral communications exercises and division tactics designed to enhance interoperability between the two navies and emphasize the importance of communications and coordination while operating underway.
America and Akebono demonstrated warfighting readiness during a replenishment-at-sea, April 11. The two ships connected fuel lines and conducted underway replenishment with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) strengthening the impact of sustained operational readiness for both maritime services. JS Akebono is deployed to the East China Sea to maintain regional security and stability. Cohesive operations with partners and allies like these allow the U.S. Navy to operate with other navies by conducting exercises beyond the beach and into international sea lanes.
USS America (LHA-6), is an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy and the lead ship of her class. The fourth U.S. warship to be named for the United States of America, she was delivered in spring of 2014, replacing Peleliu of the Tarawa class. Her mission is to act as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group, carrying part of a Marine expeditionary unit into battle and putting them ashore with helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by F-35B Lightning II aircraft and helicopter gunships.
JS Akebono (Light of Daybreak) is a Murasame-class destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). This is the first class of the second-generation general-purpose destroyers of the JMSDF. To enhance the low-observability and combat readiness capability, vertical launching systems were adopted on its missile systems: Mk 41 for VL-ASROC and Mk 48 for Sea Sparrow replace the traditional swivel octuple launchers. And the surface-to-surface missile system is alternated by the SSM-1B of Japanese make. Currently, ships of this class have been switching the point defense missile system from the traditional Sea Sparrow (RIM-7M) to the Evolved Sea Sparrow by FY2012.
