SEA OF JAPAN -- USS Chafee (DDG 90) participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Indian navy ships, INS Satpura (F48) and INS Kadmatt (P29) as well as Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ship JS Inazuma (DD-105) Nov. 3-6.

PASSEXs like this arise when maritime forces from two or more regional countries are operating in the same area and take advantage of the opportunity to train together. This PASSEX builds on previous maritime training events, including exercise Malabar this past summer.

During this PASSEX, the ships exchanged Navy liaison officers (LNOs) and exercised multiple proficiencies to include: communications drills, leap frog maneuvering drills, division tactics (DIVTACS), military security operation (MSO) training and a replenishment-at-sea (RAS).

Chafee is on a Western Pacific deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations and currently assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.