Sin In Kyun, South Korean defense analyst, reporting on his own youtube program Defense Daily, said that the US and Japan were conducting an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the western Pacific in a maritime region off the coast of Shikoku island. The exercises include, according to Shin, the Japanese helicopter carrier Ise, and four unspecified surface warships, and, allegedly five submarines, from the Japanese self defense force. Japanese P-1, and P-3c maritime patrol aircraft will also take part. The exercise is underway and scheduled for the period February 13 to February 22. Shin also said a US Los Angeles class submarine would play the role of enemy for exercises purposes. This is an exercise conducted on a regular basis, said to be twice a year.
The interesting thing about the report is that Russian military aircraft were observed flying in the Japanese theater while the exercise was taking place on the 15th* (see update below). The chart above shows some of the reported tracks of these aircraft which apparently came from the Vladivostok region. These included two sections of Tu-95 aircraft and two sections of Su-35 fighters. Two Tu-95s came down the eastern side of Japan and took a look in the Shikoku area while the naval exercise was taking place. Shin said these were bomber aircraft, but you can't help but wonder if reconnaissance aircraft wouldn't have been of better service. Shin referred to the Russian mission as a "provocation" characteristic of hot headed Russia. It appears that the Su-35s served as escorts to a point for the Tu-95 flights.
On the program the day before, Shin reported an allied air exercise was scheduled to take place in Guam, from February 20, to March 8. Japanese self defense force aircraft would deploy to Anderson AFB to participate in combined air exercises with US and Australian aircraft. Japanese aircraft will include 14 combat aircraft, two early warning aircraft, a refueling aircraft and 4 transport aircraft. 450 Japanese personnel would deploy for the exercise. Training planned includes air defense suppression, air to air defense, air to ground attack missions, electronic warfare, SAR rescue combat air patrol, and also support for humanitarian relief missions. Australia would provide an unspecified number of FA-18f, and EA-18g aircraft. Shin also said US B-52h aircraft would participate in the exercise, and that they would be escorted by allied aircraft.
Sin referred to anonymous Japanese sources in his reporting and also the Japanese press. He suggested that the US was ready if North Korea wasn't forthcoming enough in the summit talks and that South Korea's absence from these exercises was something of a lapse or dereliction as he strongly disapproves of the Moon administration and its defense policies. Fairly often he gets his flight information from the twitter account of aircraftspots.
*Update 2.18 Channel A Top Ten News carried the story of the Japanese naval exercise and the Russian air movements this morning as a number 8 item. Shin had reported that the Russian military aircraft operations in the Japanese region were reported in the Japanese press on February 16. The Top Ten report says that the Russian aircraft were detected in the region on February 15. Shin who appeared on the Top Ten program estimated the Bear track into the western Pacific as taking 15 hours round trip.
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