Japanese marines participate in Samasama Exercise 2023

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) participated in the multilateral Samasama 2023 from October 2 to 13 hosted by the United States Navy and the Philippine Navy to strengthen cooperation and to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" with like-minded countries. The JMSDF deployed JS Akebono to join counterpart units from the navies of the US, Philippines, Canada, and the UK.

Samasama 2023 was held in the vicinity of Manila and Legazpi cities and was divided into two phases: the Harbor Phase and the Sea Phase. During the Harbor Phase, held on October 2 to 7, participants engaged in subject-matter expertise exchanges spanning several topics such as maritime domain awareness, international law, and medical practices. The Sea Phase, held on 8-13 October, involved the practical aspects of the exercise such as search and rescue exercise and replenishment at sea, among many others.