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Vandegrift Part of First PSI Exercise in East Asia

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS041108-01
Release Date: 11/8/2004 8:37:00 AM

By Angela Bohon, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka Public Affairs

SAGAMI BAY, Japan (NNS) -- USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) participated in a multinational exercise involving the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, along with ships from Japan, France and Australia in Sagami Bay, Japan, south of Tokyo, Oct. 26.

The naval exercise allowed the nations to exchange information about ship boarding procedures with the specific goal of keeping weapons of mass destruction (WMD) out of the Pacific region.

The exercise was part of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) started under President George W. Bush's administration. It was the first in East Asia, but the 12th of its kind held globally since September 2003 when 11 countries - Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States - initially backed the PSI.

Cmdr. David Chase, commanding officer of Vandegrift, said this was a type of exercise Sailors dream about.

"As a naval officer, the ability to go out and operate in a formation with eight other ships is what we wait our whole lives for," said Chase. "That is, to go out and command a ship and be involved in an exercise."

During the exercise, Japanese coast guard anti-terrorism units conducted a fast rope insertion, where guardsmen dropped down from a helicopter onto the first suspect ship in the exercise.

Next, members of the U.S. Coast Guard, the United States' primary maritime law enforcement agency, climbed onto an inflatable boat lowered off the side of Vandegrift, and then raced to a second suspect ship to search for possible WMD. French and Australian units joined the U.S. Coast Guard team in their efforts.

"This particular exercise is not focused on one particular country," said Chase. "This is purely an opportunity to work with our allies and our friends in Japan to share information on how we board ships, how they board ships - with the objective of improving, should we have to do this in the future."

Ens. Clint Smith, of USCGC Sherman (WHEC 720), said this was the first time he'd conducted a boarding in Japanese waters.

"I think it was very exciting, because we put a lot of effort into planning this evolution, getting out here, choosing a team, and working with the French and Australians, and learning about the Japanese coast guard," said Smith. "It's exciting to see everyone's hard work pay off in the end."

Rear Adm. James Kelly, commander of the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Carrier Strike Group, was among those dignitaries observing the drill from aboard Izu - a Japanese ship that participated in the exercise and was the second of two target ships.

According to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PSI is administered by a "core group," which, at present, consists of 15 countries - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.