CORAL SEA - The forward-deployed amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), both part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), conducted drills with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships in the Coral Sea, Aug. 1.

Together with Green Bay and Ashland, Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182) and JMSDF Ōsumi-class amphibious transport dock ship JS Kunisaki (LST 4003) participated in a day-long exercise to enhance cooperative interoperability between the U.S. Navy and JMSDF.

Both Japan and the United States recently completed their participation in Talisman Sabre 2019, a bilateral, biennial exercise off the coast of Northern Australia, designed to improve U.S. and Australian combat training, readiness and interoperability through realistic, relevant training necessary to maintain regional security, peace and stability.

The Wasp ARG and embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) team is a flexible, self-sustained crisis response force, capable of conducting operations from combat missions, to humanitarian aid and disaster relief. They are the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.