Arab News Japan 

ToKYO: The US and Japan Coast Guard concluded a joint law-enforcement exercise in the Philippine Sea, aimed at furthering interoperability in performing law-enforcement missions, US embassy in Tokyo said.

The US Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and Japan Coast Guard Ship Akitsushima, two of the respective services’ newest and most capable vessels, operated alongside helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles conducted exercises near the Ogasawara Islands of Japan to practice interdicting foreign vessels operating illegally inside Japanese waters, the embassy said.

“These illegal activities, such as illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, can have a major impact on the fragile marine ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific region,” Capt. Holly Harrison, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball was quoted as saying. “We always benefit from and enjoy working with our Japan Coast Guard partners as it enhances our collective ability to respond to any number of maritime threats and challenges.”q

“This exercise reaffirms our long-standing alliance and assures our two coast guards operate seamlessly together,” said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area. “Together we are committed to safeguarding mariners at sea, preventing destructive illegal fishing and smuggling, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Japan Coast Guard, since its founding in 1948, and the US Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard have been bolstering each other’s capabilities and effectiveness, and 

work together to counter illegal maritime activity and assist foreign maritime agencies in the Indo-Pacific region in improving their own capabilities necessary for maritime law enforcement.