KADENA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Airmen and Sailors from Kadena Air Base, Japan teamed up within the skies close to Okinawa with Japan Air Self Protection Drive (JASDF) personnel in the course of the newest iteration of the bilateral Southern Seaside train on 19 January, 2022.
“Southern Seaside is a bilateral train between U.S. personnel from Kadena Air Base, and the Japanese Air Self-Protection Drive,” mentioned U.S. Air Drive Capt. Sebastian Coburn, 18th Operations Assist Squadron dissimilar air combat-training wing chief.
Southern Seaside gives U.S. and Japanese personnel the chance to combine as an allied power to raised perceive one another’s strengths, observe fluidity and execute the mission of sustaining a free and open Indo-Pacific area.
There have been a large number of plane from totally different models coming collectively. Plane from Kadena included the F-15C Eagles, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the E-3 Sentry, the HH-60 Pave Hawks and the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon. Japanese Air Self-Protection Drive plane included the F-2, the F-15J and the E-767.
Coburn mentioned the Southern Seaside train includes shut coordination between all forces concerned, from mission planning, to execution to debrief.
Whereas U.S. Air Drive and Japanese Air Self-Protection Drive typically practice collectively in related Southern Seaside workout routines, the inclusion of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A added a novel dimension to this occasion.
“Having our P-8 collaborating in Southern Seaside underscores our capabilities of maritime operations within the Indo-Pacific theater,” mentioned U.S. Navy Cmdr. Marc Hines, Patrol Squad 10 commander. “It factors to the significance of our joint partnership with allied companions and sister companies with a purpose to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
The bilateral coaching not solely will increase bilateral response functionality, but in addition function demonstration of the mutual U.S. and Japanese dedication to sustaining regional stability.
In a current bilateral assertion launched after a gathering between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the 2 nations mentioned the U.S.-Japan Alliance stays the cornerstone of peace, safety, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. The assertion added that the U.S. and Japan will proceed to deepen cooperation to handle a variety of rising safety challenges.
Whereas such cooperation is nothing new to the women and men serving on the keystone of the Pacific, it takes renewed significance because the U.S. and Japan reaffirm their shut ties amid the trendy challenges going through regional safety.
“President Biden’s assembly with Prime Minister Kishida, in addition to workout routines like Southern Seaside present how intently we’re working with our Japanese companions,” mentioned Coburn. “The U.S. Air Drive and JASDF have at all times labored very intently with one another, and I’d wish to see that proceed.”
