USS Blue Ridge sails with JS Asahi in South China Sea

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Asahi-class destroyer JS Asahi (DD-119) and U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) conduct a group sail during a bilateral exercise in the South China Sea, April 16, 2026. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damian Cook)