US Navy, Japan deepen Electronic Warfare ties with drills

U.S. Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131, operating under Task Force 70, joined Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) units for bilateral electronic warfare training south of Okinawa on 3 April, following a new memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024, according to a press release.

The exercise, named Fujin after the Japanese god of wind, marked the first major training event under the pact, which aims to expand cooperation between the two forces’ electronic attack communities. It brought together U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft and JMSDF destroyers and patrol aircraft to advance joint capabilities in electromagnetic and information warfare.

“This exercise is precisely the tactical integration Vice Adm. Kaneshima and I envisioned when we signed this memorandum,” said Rear Admiral Greg Newkirk, commander of U.S. Task Force 70. “Our naval air forces are making deep inroads in all-spectrum interoperability… becoming stronger.”

The JMSDF contributed the Murasame-class destroyer JS Inazuma and a range of surveillance and electronic warfare aircraft, including the EP-3, OP-3C, and UP-3D. VAQ-131, which operates the EA-18G Growler, flew from Misawa and Kadena Air Bases in Japan for the exercise.

“Through our Fujin pact, we have developed and strengthened our electromagnetic warfare capability, as well as the information warfare collaboration between the JMSDF and U.S. Navy,” said Vice Admiral Koji Kaneshima, JMSDF Fleet Air Force Commander. “We will continue to seek further opportunities to make us stronger and more confident together.”

Commander James Jordan, commanding officer of VAQ-131, noted the growing significance of seamless joint operations: “This exercise enhances our combined capability to build, share, and protect battlespace awareness… As we continue to grow these relationships under the Fujin memorandum, we’re improving those ties with our allied forces.”

Task Force 70 is responsible for the majority of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed strike forces in the Indo-Pacific, including Destroyer Squadron 15, Carrier Air Wing 5, and ships assigned to Carrier Strike Group 5. The 7th Fleet, under which it operates, is the largest of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed fleets and regularly trains with partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.