CTF 70 IW Leaders Partner with JMSDF to Promote OPSEC for Mission Success

22 February 2023

From Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Askia Collins, Commander, Task Force 70 / Carrier Strike Group 5 Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Members of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70's Information Warfare (IW) team met with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to exchange IW knowledge and experience, in Funakoshi, Japan, Feb. 14.

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The main subject for this meeting was Operations Security (OPSEC), but the team also discussed items related to IW planning, electronic warfare, and assured command and
control.

220805-N-JO823-1102 PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 5, 2022) Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, Vice Adm. Tatsuya Fukuda, Commander, Fleet Escort Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and members of CTF 70 and JMSDF, hold a meeting aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during an embarked tour in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 5. Fukuda and his staff, as well as members of the Japan Ministry of Defense and media personnel, observed flight operations and toured various parts of the ship during their time aboard. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Natasha ChevalierLosada)

220415-N-YQ181-1016 YOKOSUKA, Japan (April 15, 2022) Vice Adm. FUKUDA Tatsuya, commander, Fleet Escort Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, conducts flag talks aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5. Flag talks allow commanders to plan for future operations, work through challenges or lessons learned, while building towards greater collaboration when their forces operate together in the maritime environment. CTF 70/CSG 5 is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Askia Collins)

"As with previous events, this meeting proved to be extremely productive for both of our respective forces,” said Capt. Kurt Mole, CTF 70’s information warfare commander. “CTF 70 was able to share lessons from our recent deployment and perspective on OPSEC and its importance to achieving mission objectives. Our Japanese counterparts offered tremendous insights and recommendations, and we developed plans to conduct future bilateral OPSEC assessments together. This is just the latest example of the improving IW capabilities and seamless interoperability of our teams."

OPSEC is defined as the process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be useful to them, and then uses planned measures to eliminate or reduced adversary exploitation of friendly critical information.

This meeting was part of a series of regular IW meetings to facilitate collaboration and deepen integration.

“The overall goal in working with JMSDF is to strengthen the existing partnership between our two Navies,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brad Stadsklev, CTF 70’s electronic warfare officer. “Topics like OPSEC are often overlooked or taken for granted, and thus not always properly applied in our day-to-day operations. Having an OPSEC tabletop exercise with JMSDF allows us to exchange and reinforce OPSEC best practices, lessons learned and ways forward that we can collectively employ in order to prevent inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information, such as ship movement, exercises or tactics, techniques and procedures.”

The U.S. and JMSDF have been partnered in the Indo-Pacific for more than 60 years.

U.S. 7th Fleet exercises operational control of its units through designated Task Forces or Task Groups. These groups are organized along domain and functional lines. CTF 70 is theater strike warfare commander and theater air and missile defense commander.

CTF 70 is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.