U.S., French, and Japanese Naval Forces to Participate in Exercise Pacific Steller 2025 in the Philippine Sea

TDT | Manama

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U.S. forces are set to join Exercise Pacific Steller 2025, a large-scale multi-domain exercise (MLDE) hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea starting on February 8. This exercise will feature ships from the U.S. Navy’s Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG), the French Carrier Strike Group, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, aimed at enhancing coordination and operational capabilities among the three nations.

Pacific Steller 2025 is designed to bolster cooperation between French, Japanese, and U.S. maritime forces while demonstrating their capabilities in multi-domain operations. It also emphasizes their shared commitment to regional stability and underscores the U.S. Navy's enduring power projection in the Indo-Pacific region.

“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 Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1. “Coordinated operations between USS Carl Vinson, FS Charles De Gaulle, and JS Kaga strengthen our alliances and deter our adversaries. Together, we seek to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, free of all forms of coercion, and we’re excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision.”

The U.S.-France alliance, built on a shared legacy of values such as freedom and human rights, continues to strengthen through joint operations. “It is a great opportunity for the French Carrier Strike Group to cooperate with our partners in the Indo-Pacific during the whole deployment,” said Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard, commander of the French Carrier Strike Group. “PACIFIC STELLER will ramp up interoperability for our three navies and represents a challenge that we are eager to take up alongside our Japanese and U.S. partners.”

The exercise follows in the footsteps of the most recent MLDE held in the Indo-Pacific, which took place in August 2024 between the USS Abraham Lincoln and the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour. This marked the first MLDE between the U.S. and Italian navies in the region.

“We are excited to enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region with our French and Japanese allies,” said Capt. Matthew Thomas, commanding officer of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). “Pacific Steller 2025 is an important step in our routine integration to showcase our partnership and our ability to operate seamlessly together.”

Participating ships in the exercise include the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the French aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle, and Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184). The exercise will also feature the French Carrier Strike Group's extensive fleet, including the Rafale Marine fighter aircraft, E-2C Hawkeye, and a variety of helicopters.

The exercise represents a critical phase in strengthening the commitment to regional peace and stability and continues the longstanding tradition of multinational cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, which is the largest forward-deployed fleet, regularly engages with allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Pacific Steller 2025 will play a vital role in enhancing the interoperability of allied naval forces and bolstering their shared objectives of promoting freedom of navigation, deterring coercion, and ensuring a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.