The navies of France, Japan and the United States today began Exercise Pacific Steller 2025, a multi-large deck event (MLDE) hosted by the French Navy and conducted in the Philippine Sea.
The exercise includes ships from the U.S. Navy’s Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG), the French Carrier Strike Group, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Ranking officers of the participating navies said the MLDE aims to enhance coordination and collaboration among French, Japanese, and U.S. maritime forces, showcasing their ability to conduct multi-domain operations.
It also underscores their commitment to regional stability and highlights the U.S. Navy’s enduring power projection capabilities, they added.
“Pacific Steller 2025 allows us to practice seamless integration with our French and Japanese allies in a multi-domain environment,” said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander of the US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1.
“It is a great opportunity for the French Carrier Strike Group to cooperate with our partners in the Indo-Pacific during the whole deployment. While France is a resident nation of the Indo-Pacific, it has not deployed its CSG to this part of the world for a long time,” said Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard, commander of the French CSG.
Participating large-deck ships include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle, and Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184).
It can be recalled that the most recent MLDE in the Indo-Pacific occurred in August 2024 between the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and the Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550).
The event last year marked the first MLDE conducted between the US and Italian navies in the Indo-Pacific region.
MLDEs are conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states, according to the United States Indo-Pacific Command (US INDOPACOM).
As this developed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported the return of the China Coast Guard’s 541-foot-long “monster ship” (CCG 5901) to the waters near Bajo de Masinloc.
PCG West Philippine Sea (WPS) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela reported that two CCG vessels were spotted in Bajo de Masinloc, while three others remained off the Zambales coast.
“Well, right now, nag-swap ulit si CCG 3304 and CCG 5901. CCG 5901 is once again back in the vicinity of Bajo De Masinloc at a distance of 120 nautical miles,” Tarriela said.
“CCG 3304 is the one trying to replace 5901 as it maintained [China’s] illegal presence off the coast of Zambales at a distance of 105 nautical miles,” he added.