IWAKUNI, Japan. -- U.S. forces with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet conducted a joint rehearsal of tactics and simulated strikes on naval targets off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 19, 2021. Between the two services, the participating aircraft platforms included the F/A-18 (C, E, and F variants), E-2D, and KC-130J.

The joint planning for the rehearsal took place over a six-day time period with planners coordinating their efforts from three separate locations in the Indo-Pacific: Okinawa, mainland Japan, and aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

“This training offered a vital opportunity to practice lethal maritime actions with elements of the Navy and Marine Corps operating against a peer adversary,” said Lt. Col. Jeremy Siegel, current operations officer for 1st MAW and lead planner for this exercise. “This was extremely valuable because it allowed us to further refine our tactics, techniques, and procedures for carrying out joint maritime strikes and it also provided us the opportunity to practice command and control of a diverse organizational structure. Through events like these, we are able to establish a repeatable framework that can be applied to similar actions in the future.”

U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific routinely train and rehearse maritime mission sets in order to maintain readiness to carry out a wide range of operational tasks in a region characterized by vast oceans, seas, and waterways.

“The U.S. Navy is committed to a consistent forward presence in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Rear Adm. Dan Martin, commander, Carrier Strike Group One. “As part of the larger U.S. Joint Force and alongside our allies and partners, our strategy is simple - develop and maintain warfighting capabilities, readiness, and sustainment necessary to guarantee freedom in the maritime domain. We train and rehearse so that, if necessary, we can act in the global community’s interest in upholding the rules-based international order that has ensured the sovereignty and prosperity of all nations.”

U.S. armed forces continue to train and operate with each other as well as strengthen regional alliances and partnerships to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains peaceful, as it has largely been for over 70 years.