TOKYO — Dozens of U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force warships gathered in the East China Sea last week as part of a major war exercise — but not that you’d know it. Exercise Keen Sword is held every other year to test inter-operability of U.S. and Japanese air, land and sea forces. But media coverage was severely restricted this year and a large-scale amphibious assault exercise was canceled. The reason: to avoid worsening the territorial dispute over Japan’s Senkaku Islands, which China also claims (and calls Diaoyu). The U.S-Japanese fleet, one of the largest ever assembled, was within a days’ cruise of the islands. The 12-day Keen Sword exercise concluded Nov. 17.
Stealth Fleet in the East China Sea
The GW is escorted by JS Hyuga, foreground, one of two Japan Maritime Self Defense Force helicopter carriers; a larger version is scheduled to join the fleet next year. China launched its first fixed-wing aircraft carrier this year.
