D. Exercise Malabar
From October 15 to 19, 2015, Exercise Malabar kicked off in the Bay of Bengal, participated by India, the US and Japan. The exercise has been held since the 1990s by the USN and Indian Navy in the Pacific and Indian Oceans alternately. However, it was suspended by the US due to India’s nuclear test in 1998. After 9／11, India joined the counter-terrorism alliance led by the US.
Therefore, the exercise was resumed in 2002. The scope of exercise scenarios is extensive and its scale has been enlarged gradually, from basic tactics, maritime supply and surface combat in the early years, upgraded to ship formation, ASW, simulation combats, and collaborative operations with the carrier strike group. Additionally, trainings like law enforcement, S＆R, and anti piracy by the coast guard are also included. As a temporary member, Japan forces participated in Exercise Malabar off the coast of Japan in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2014 respectively. Moreover, in 2015, Japan became a permanent member rather than a foreign invitee in the exercise.
Exercise Malabar in 2007 is worth of a few more words. It consists of two sections：Exercise Malabar 2007-1 first moved from the western Indian coast to Bay of Bengal off the eastern Indian coast; Malabar 2007-2 first invited Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force （JMSDF）, Australian Royal Navy and Singaporean Navy that contributed altogether 25 warships, hence turning this annual bilateral into multilateral and substantially increasing its scale and complexity. Geopolitically, Bay of Bengal is a maritime lifeline to Asian countries, as it is close to the Malacca Strait and lies in the waters where the Indian Ocean and Southeastern Asian waters converge. Ships from the Hormuz and bound for the Malacca Strait must sail through Bay of Bengal. Due to Japan’s participation, the Exercise has been extended from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. 2008 witnessed Exercise Malabar first conducted by the USN, Indian Navy and JMSDF in waters east off Okinawa, which was interpreted as the three countries’ combined efforts to pose a challenge to China. After 2008, Exercise Malabar has restored to being bilateral between the US and India with JMSDF’s occasional participation. Japan had participated Exercise Malabar as a foreign invitee on several occasions before it was admitted as a permanent member in the exercise in 2015. Since then, the Exercise has been upgraded to be trilateral. The US warships include USS Roosevelt, USS City of Corpus Christi, Ticonderoga-class cruiser, USS Fort Worth; the Indian warships include Rajput-class destroyer, Shivalik-class frigate and Brahmaputra-class frigate, Kilo-class submarine and other surface vessels; JMSDF sends a frigate to the exercise. Japan’s regular participation in Exercise Malabar indicates that the exercise waters has been extended from the Indian Ocean to west Pacific at times of major powers intervening in the South China Sea disputes. Although not explicitly stated, the intention of the US, India and Japan accelerating their military cooperation is interpreted as being aimed at China.
E. Exercise Iron Fist 2015
From January 26 to February 27th, 2015, USMC and JGSDF conducted a combined exercise code-named Iron Fist 2015 in the Center of Air-Ground Operations of Southern California. As an annual bilateral exercise, it is designed to test the two sides’ collaborative ability to conduct amphibious and ground operations, particularly the amphibious capabilities of JSDF. The USMC is a service responsible for cross-strait landing and experienced in amphibious operations. The JGSDF participants are from a battalion-class infantry troops stationed in west Japan, which specializes in conducting amphibious operations. As the unit mainly responsible for amphibious operations in JSDF, the west company has participated in the exercise on several occasions. JSDF repeatedly practiced the whole process of conducting amphibious raid.
F. Exercise Comprehensive Fire 2015
From August 21 to 28, 2015, the US and ROK troops staged their live-fire drill in an army training field in Pocheon City, about 6 kilometers off the demilitarised zone （DMZ）. The exercise was firstly held in June 1977, and has been executed up to seven times by the two countries. 2,000 US and Korean military personnel participated in the exercise after 3 years’ interval and the exercise of 2015 was the largest scale ever. The ROK army dispatched K-2 tanks, K-21 armored vehicles, Surion helicopters, FA-50 fighter jets, MLRS, while the USFK assigned Bradley armored vehicles, Apache helicopters and A-10s and some other equipment. The exercise aims to demonstrate the formidable joint defensive capabilities of the US and ROK, bring home to the enemy that the US and Korean forces are capable of making a timely and decisive counter-attack on any provocation, and destroying the enemy.
G. Exercise Key Resolve／Foal Eagle
Exercise Key Resolve／Foal Eagle is a routine exercise annually held in spring by the US and ROK. Key Resolve is a computer-based simulation exercise, lasting from March 2 to 13; Foal Eagle is a field exercise conducted from March 2 to April 24, with the US participants decreased from 7,500 last year to 3,500 this year.
Due to the USN’s visit to ROK, a part of Foal Eagle Exercise--the joint maritime maneuver exercise was started ahead of schedule. This exercise was conducted successively in ROK’s southern, western and eastern waters, from February 27 to the middle of March. The ROK navy sent over ten vessels like Kanggamchan destroyer, P-3C and Lynx helicopters to the exercise.
The US assigned USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 and a MH-60R Sea Hawk. Five warships from the USN Seventh Fleet joined in the exercise, among which USS Fort Worth was involved for the first time. USS Fort Worth is designed to adapt to the maritime features in the Asia-Pacific waters, equipped with a MH-60 helicopter, a MQ-8, 57mm automatic weapons, and 21 surface-to-surface missiles and Hellfire missiles. Maritime events included live fire on the sea, vessel maneuver and supply support and so on.
As part of Foal Eagle Exercise, Double Dragon Exercise is a joint landing exercise by US and ROK Marine Corps. It was held in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do of ROK from the end of March to the beginning of April, to demonstrate the two forces’ expeditionary amphibious capabilities in particular. Over 1,000 US marines and 3 landing vessels participated while 2,500 Korean marines were involved. The US military personnel were downsized from 5,000 last year to 1,000 this year.
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