US Hosts Multinational Naval Exercise Off California Coast

The United States was joined by three countries in a multinational training exercise off the coast of California to enhance the military's operational capabilities and better plan during crisis, the US Pacific Command said in a statement on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The amphibious training exercise known as "Dawn Blitz," with participating forces from Japan, Mexico and New Zealand, collaborated to "refine the Navy and Marine Corps’ ability to effectively operate together as a cohesive crisis response force," the Pacific Command stated.

The statement also noted that the exercise aimed to "strengthen the international military relationships through crisis action planning, cooperation in amphibious operations, and command and control capabilities."

During the exercises, participating personnel "used a variety of ways" to move troops and supplies to shore. The training also focused on using combat rubber raid crafts, landing craft air cushions, amphibious assault vehicles CH-53E Super Stallions as well as Japanese CH-47 Chinooks.

In recent months, the United States military has been conducting more military exercises in and around the areas of the South China Sea and Korean Peninsula amid Washington’s perceived threat of North Korea and China’s land reclamation efforts of disputed island territory in the region.