Ships and aircraft from Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (RRNCSG) concluded a week of at-sea bilateral training with a destroyer from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) May 17. The training included U.S. Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 flagship USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54), Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 138, and the JMSDF destroyer JS Teruzuki (DD 116), with the focus on building interoperability and strengthening relationships in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The U.S.-Japan bilateral training focused on a gunnery exercise, electronic warfare exercise, helicopter deck landing qualifications, formation sailing, communication drills, and replenishments at-sea. The events allowed for the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense force to exercise together towards common maritime goals.
“These professional interactions between our strike group and the JMSDF continue from our multiple, regular engagements ashore that focus on the planning and sharing of knowledge to benefit both countries and the region. Our Sailors across the force greatly benefit from our interactions with our JMSDF allies-both personally and professionally,” said Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, Commander, Task Force 70/CSG 5.
“We have achieved improving tactical capabilities of element and interoperability through this high-end bilateral exercise with the U.S. Carrier Strike Group,” said Cmdr. Takashi Sato, commanding officer, JS Teruzuki. “In such a way, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy cooperate closely and sail together in the several seas, we are maintaining and strengthening our cooperative action capability.”
Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. CSG 5 is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the group’s ships and aviation squadrons. As the only continuously forward deployed carrier strike group, the CSG-5 staff does not stand down when the strike group is in Yokosuka, but instead continues to maintain command responsibilities over deploying Carrier Strike Groups and independently deployed cruisers, destroyers, and frigates that operate in the Seventh Fleet operating area. The commander and staff are also responsible for the higher level Task Force 70 duties throughout the year in addition to the CSG-5 duties. The composition of the strike group in immediate proximity of the Ronald Reagan varies throughout the year.
