ANNUALEX

USN-JASDF ships and aircraft formations during ANNUALEX 2008
Aircraft fly overhead during an ANNUALEX 21G formation in 2009.

ANNUALEX[1] or AnnualEx (AE) is a military exercise by the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.[2] It is annually held in the Southern Sea of Japan.[2]

The official definition reads: [ANNUALEX] …

… is a bilateral training exercise between the Navy and JMSDF conducted in the waters south of Japan, to practice and evaluate the coordination, procedures, and interoperability elements required to effectively and cohesively respond to the defense of Japan or to a regional contingency in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

— United States Navy, Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Sara B. Sexton, Commander, Task Force 70 Public Affairs, Japanese Admiral Embarks Ronald Reagan as Sea Combatant Commander During AnnualEx 16[3]

History

The first ANNUALEX was held between November 5 and 15, 1996.[2] ANNUALEX 13g was held from November 4–11, 2016, and participation included 750 American military personnel.[2]

ANNUALEX 2021 was held from November 21–30 in the Philippine Sea. Five international navies participated, including the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), German Navy (GMN), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the U.S. Navy.[4]

References

  1. ^ Mariana Islands Range Complex: Environmental Impact Statement (Draft). Vol. 2. Pearl Harbor, HI: United States Department of the Navy. January 2009. p. XVIII. Retrieved 18 December 2022. ANNUALEX stands for 'Annual Exercise'
  2. ^ a b c d Pike, John. "Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  3. ^ Sexton, Sara B. "Japanese Admiral Embarks Ronald Reagan as Sea Combatant Commander During AnnualEx 16 (Story Number: NNS151124-06)". GlobalSecurity.org. Navy News Service. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  4. ^ Camacho, Charena (21 November 2021). "Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and the U.S. join for ANNUALEX 2021". U.S. Navy Office of Information. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  • Media related to ANNUALEX at Wikimedia Commons