By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 21, 2020
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain last week practiced anti-submarine warfare with a French submarine and Japanese carrier in the Philippine Sea, according to a Navy statement Friday.
France’s nuclear-powered submarine FS Emeraude and support and assistance vessel FS Seine, along with Japan’s helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga, practiced anti-submarine warfare tactics with the McCain, “strengthening cooperative efforts to support maritime security in the Indo-Pacific,” according to the Navy.
While the Navy frequently trains with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, “it is a rare opportunity for U.S. Navy maritime forces to conduct operations with their French Navy counterparts in the 7th Fleet area of operations,” according to the statement.