U.S. Aircraft Carrier Conducts Trilateral Naval Exercise. The United States aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, left, sails in formation with other warships from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea during a trilateral naval exercise in the East China Sea on March 18, 2025. Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Pablo Chavez/U.S. Navy
The U.S. held a naval exercise with two Northeast Asian allies, Japan and South Korea, with its aircraft carrier this week, staging a show of force in front of North Korea.
Newsweek has contacted the North Korean Embassy in Beijing for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Japan and South Korea are U.S. treaty allies and are threatened by the nuclear-armed North Korea, which has frequently fired missiles during tests. Washington has stationed forces in both countries as a deterrent that Pyongyang views as "war reinforcements" against it.
While the U.S. regularly conducts military exercises with South Korea on a bilateral basis, the alliance expanded to include Japan in recent years as they formed a trilateral security tie, aiming at countering threats from North Korea and its ally, China, in a broader context.
What to Know
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, joined the Japanese and South Korean navies for an exercise from Monday to Thursday, which advanced "interoperability and readiness across multiple warfare areas."
The Carl Vinson visited a naval base in the South Korean city of Busan earlier this month. Kim Yo Jong, a sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said this provocative act offered justification for her country to "indefinitely bolster up its nuclear war deterrent."
The trilateral naval drill took place in international waters south of South Korea's southern island of Jeju in the East China Sea, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. In addition to the Carl Vinson, six more warships from the three navies participated in the drill.
This marked the first trilateral naval war game held under Donald Trump's second presidency. The last maritime drill between the three allies was conducted in November.
During the four-day drill at sea, the participating vessels carried out "group sails, advanced maritime communications, maritime interdiction operations training, air combat drills, staff exchanges and other integration," further strengthening their combined naval capabilities.
"Enhancing trilateral security cooperation with the [Republic of Korea Navy] and [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force] ensures our militaries and self-defense forces can operate together against any threat," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command explained in the statement.
The Japanese navy said the exercise trained on anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare, which strengthened cooperation to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific" region.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement on Thursday: "Trilateral naval exercises are conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states."
The South Korean defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday: "The exercise focused on enhancing trilateral cooperation for South Korea, the U.S. and Japan's deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear, missile and underwater threats and ... bolstering their maritime security capacity."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether North Korea will launch ballistic missiles as its response to the allied trilateral naval exercise. Pyongyang has rebuked the U.S. and South Korea for carrying out "war rehearsals" under the pretext of military exercises and joint training.
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM.