The United States and Japan have carried out joint military exercises in the Sea of Japan, underscoring ongoing defence cooperation between the two allies amid regional security concerns.
According to a statement published by the United States Navy on X, EA-18G Growler aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-135—known as the “Black Ravens”—participated alongside a UP-3D Orion aircraft operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force in bilateral drills conducted on April 3, 2026, Caliber.Az reports.
The Navy highlighted the coordination between the two forces in a brief message accompanying images from the exercise, stating: “We have friends in high places. EA-18G Growlers assigned to the ‘Black Ravens’ of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135 and a UP-3D Orion of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force conduct bi-lateral exercises in the Sea of Japan.”
VAQ-135 is assigned to Commander, Task Force 70 and is forward-deployed to the US Seventh Fleet, the Navy noted.
The Seventh Fleet, described as the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely operates alongside regional allies and partners in support of what Washington characterises as a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
