U.S. Naval Institute Staff – October 23, 2026 3:28 PM
The following is a summary of major ship movements and exercises in the Western Pacific over the last week.
In the Philippine Sea
The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group was in the Philippine Sea as of Wednesday as part of U.S.-Japan Exercise Keen Sword 27.
Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 and cruiser USS Chosin (CG-65) is leading Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH-182),destroyers JS Kongo (DDG-173) and JS Asahi (DD-119), Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Stuart (FFH153), Royal Canadian frigate HMCS Regina (FFH334) and a French frigate in the naval drills.
In the Celebes Sea
The People’s Liberation Army Navy Liaoning CSG was spotted Friday transiting the Basilan Strait, which is between Basilan and Zamboanga City, Philippines. The strike group includes aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning (16), cruisers CNS Anshan (103) and CNS Wuxi (104) and destroyer CNS Huainen (123).
In Japan
The U.S.-Japan bilateral Exercise Keen Sword 27 is being carried out in Japan from Monday to Oct. 29. The majority of activities will take place in Japan’s southwest region.
Approximately 45,000 Japan Self-Defense Force, 11,000 U.S. service members and forces from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Philippines are participating alongside observers from the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.
A total of 260 aircraft and 40 ships, including the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group are being deployed for the drills, which opened Monday with a formal ceremony on Ishigaki Island.
Along with at-sea drills, Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) anti-ship and anti-air missile units will be deployed to the Sakishima Islands for island defense drills.
Drone demonstrations will occur at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, and U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighters will deploy to Japan Air Self-Defense Force Tsuiki Air Base. Airfield repair training will take place at Kadena Air Base, cyber exercises at Sagami Depot, joint fighter aircraft flights and an “elephant walk” of Marine Corps and JGSDF rotary wing and tiltrotor aircraft will be at MCAS Futenma.
In U.S. 7th Fleet
Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) is transiting the Pacific westward on deployment after a port visit to Hawaii. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group includes Makin Island, USS Anchorage (LPD-23), USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), and the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Destroyer USS Howard (DDG-83) is operating in the Pacific Ocean. Howard is forward-deployed to Japan and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15.
Amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18) carried out a replenishment-at-sea with Republic of Korea Navy fast combat support ship ROKS Soyang (AOE-51) on Monday. New Orleans, assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 7, Task Force 76, is currently underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
In Malaysia and Singapore
Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA) Exercise Bersama Lima concluded on Friday, having begun on Oct. 5.
A total of 1900 personnel from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the U.K. participated with seven ships, one submarine and 42 aircraft in Malaysia and Singapore. Activities included surface-to-air defense, joint urban operations, Combined Anti-Submarine Exercises (CASEX), Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT), Boarding Exercise and replenishment at sea.
Naval vessels that participated included Royal Australian Navy fleet oiler HMAS Stalwart (A304), Republic of Singapore Navy frigate RSS Intrepid, littoral mission vessel RSS Dauntless (21) and an Invincible-class submarine, Royal Malaysian Navy corvette KD Lekir (FSG26) and offshore patrol vessel KD Pahang (172) and Royal Navy offshore patrol vessels HMS Tamar (P233) and HMS Spey (P234).
The FPDA has released a video of the exercise’s highlights.
In Bayuwangi, East Java, Indonesia
Indonesia-Australia joint bilateral exercise Keris Woomera 26 concluded on Tuesday, having begun on Oct. 12. The exercise saw 1,000 Australian Defense Force personnel and more than 1,200 members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces carry out complex training across maritime, land, air and cyber domains.
There were nine days of combined joint training in East Java, the Bali Sea and surrounding maritime areas.
The joint naval task group included Indonesian Navy corvette KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (367) and Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth (FFH157), amphibious dock landing ship HMAS Choules (L100) and fleet oiler Stalwart. The fleet oiler then moved on to Singapore for Exercise Bersama Shield.
In the South China Sea
Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston (LCS-18) was operating near Sabina Shoal on Tuesday. The maritime feature is claimed by China.
“The U.S. action infringes upon China’s sovereign rights and interests, jeopardizes maritime security, and is detrimental to regional peace and stability. The U.S. side should immediately cease such activities,” reads a statement on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) official social media account China Military Bugle.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey docked Friday in Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City for a port visit. Spey previously operated in the waters off Malaysia and Singapore for Five Power Defence Arrangements Exercise Bersama Lima.
In Qingdao, China
The People’s Liberation Army Navy 48th Escort Task Group arrived Friday at its homeport of Qingdao, China. The task group includes destroyer CNS Tangshan (122), CNS frigate Daqing (576) and fleet oiler CNS Taihu (889).
During its 378-day mission, the task force sailed more than 150,000 nautical miles and escorted 423 Chinese and foreign vessels in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The PLAN has conducted the rotational deployments of escort task groups to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since 2008.
JMSDF P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft tracked the task group sailing northeast 220 kilometers – 137 miles – south of Miyako Island on Oct. 16 and subsequently sailing between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the East China Sea on Saturday.
In the Yellow Sea
The ROKN conducted joint and combined maritime operations training in the Yellow Sea from Tuesday to Friday as part of the larger Republic of Korea Armed Forces Hoguk annual field training exercise. The exercise will run from Monday to Oct. 30 and involves participation from U.S. forces in South Korea.
A total of 20 ROKN surface ships – including destroyers ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG-993), ROKS Gang Gam-chan (DDH-979) and ROKS Eulji Mundeok (DDH-972) – along with U.S. and ROKN MPA and Republic of Korea Air Force fighter aircraft participated in the drills from Tuesday to Friday.
Participating forces carried out a range of drills, including maritime maneuvers, live-fire naval gunnery, maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarine warfare and combined Maritime Counter-Special Operations Force operations.
In Sasebo, Japan
JMSDF destroyer JS Kirisame (DD-104) departed Saturday from JMSDF Sasebo Naval Base for a deployment to the Gulf of Aden as the 55th Deployment Surface Force for Counter Piracy Enforcement.
The deployment is JMSDF’s ongoing rotational deployment for counter-piracy and escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia and began in 2009.
In Yokosuka, Japan
Attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN-792) docked Thursday in Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, according to local ship spotters and a release by the Yokosuka City Council.
In the Sea of Japan
A Russian IL-20 Electronic Intelligence aircraft with tailcode RF-75936 flew over the Sea of Japan Saturday, Thursday and Friday.
Saturday’s flight saw the aircraft fly in from the Russian continent to the waters north of Kyoto Prefecture before turning back. Thursday and Friday’s flight paths were the same, with the IL-20 flying west of Hokkaido to north of Shimane Prefecture before turning back.
Fighter aircraft of the JASDF Northern Air Defense Command and other units were scrambled in response.
In the East China Sea
On Tuesday, a Chinese Y-9 ELINT aircraft conducted a round-trip flight from south of the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea to northwest of Okinawa before returning toward the Chinese mainland. The JASDF Southwestern Air Defense Command scrambled fighter aircraft in response.
In the Osumi Strait
PLAN destroyer CNS Qiqihar (121) and fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu (901) were sighted on Oct. 16 sailing southeast 140 kilometers –87 miles – west of Kuchinoerabu Island. On Saturday, the two ships sailed east through the Osumi Strait, which separates the main island of Kyushu and Tanegashima Island, to enter the Pacific Ocean. JMSDF frigate JS Mikuma (FFM-4) and a JMSDF P-1 MPA shadowed the PLAN ships.
PLAN Dongdiao-class surveillance ship Yuhengxing (798) transited the Osumi Strait on Saturday and Sunday to enter the Pacific Ocean, having been sighted sailing east 100 kilometers – 62 miles – west of Kuchinoerabu Island. JMSDF multi-purpose support ship JS Amakusa (AMS-4303) and a JMSDF P-1 MPA carried out surveillance on Yuhengxing.
PLAN frigate CNS Jingzhou (532) was sighted Monday sailing east 100 kilometers – 62 miles – west of Kuchinoerabu Island. From Monday to Tuesday, the frigate sailed east through the Osumi Strait to enter the Pacific Ocean. JMSDF destroyer JS Teruzuki (DD-116) and a JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 4 P-1 MPA shadowed the PLAN frigate.
In the Miyako Strait
PLAN Dongdiao-class surveillance ship Kaiyangxing (796) was sighted Saturday sailing south 80 kilometers – 50 miles – northwest of Kume Island and subsequently sailed south between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the Philippine Sea. A JMSDF P-1 of Fleet Air Wing 1 carried out surveillance on the PLAN ship.
On Monday, one Chinese military BZK-005 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and a Chinese Y-9 ELINT aircraft flew from the East China Sea, passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the Philippine Sea and carried out a circuit flight before returning back to the East China Sea. Fighter aircraft from the JASDF Southwestern Air Defense Command were scrambled in response.
On Tuesday, a Chinese Y-9 MPA flew from the East China Sea and passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the Philippine Sea. After flying as far off the island of Amami Oshima, the aircraft turned back and passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the East China Sea and returned to China. The JASDF scrambled fighter aircraft from the Southwestern Air Defense Command in response.
On Wednesday, a Chinese Y-9 ELINT from the East China Sea entered the Philippine Sea after passing between Okinawa and Miyako Island. After flying as far as the island of Amami Oshima, the aircraft turned back and passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island to return to the East China Sea. The JASDF Southwestern Air Defense Command scrambled fighter aircraft in response.
Near Taiwan
On Monday, a Chinese TB-001 UAV flew in from the East China Sea and passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan to enter the Philippine Sea where it flew as far as the island of Amami Oshima before turning back and returning to the East China Sea. The JASDF Southwestern Air Defense Command scrambled fighter aircraft in response.
At Fleet Base East, Australia
Destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42) returned home to Fleet Base East, New South Wales on Saturday, following 131 days operating across the Indo-Pacific. The deployment included participation in exercises Rim of the Pacific and Pacific Dragon in Hawaii and Pacific Vanguard and Nichi-Gou Trident in the waters of Guam.
At Devonport Naval Base, New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Navy Task Group – frigate HMNZS Te Mana (F111) and fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa (A11) – arrived home in Devonport Naval Base on Friday, completing a 134-day deployment that included participation in RIMPAC and monitoring North Korean maritime sanctions evasion.
This post was written by Dzirhan Mahadzir.
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