A US aircraft carrier battle group, a contingent of Marines and dozens of Air Force fighters have conducted their largest inter-service exercises of the year off Okinawa.
The maneuvers, which began Aug. 7, involved more than 100 military planes -- including B-2 stealth bombers from the island of Guam -- and the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier and its battle group.
Fighters launched from the deck of this carrier in intervals of less than two minutes roared through the skies on Thursday seeking out imaginary enemies and targets, often pitting Navy or Air Force jets against each other.
"This is the highest-level joint exercise we can have outside the United States," said battle group commander Rear Admiral Doug McLain. "We're operating the entire spectrum of warfare."
Officials refused to comment on the political impact of the maneuvers, called JASEX, which come on the heels of statements from the Pentagon indicating an increased concern over the modernization of China's military, and amid talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
The maneuvers were, however, intended to underscore the US military's role in the region, according to a Kitty Hawk press release.
"JASEX demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the stability of the western Pacific," Captain Ed McNamee, the Kitty Hawk's commanding officer, said in a statement.
McLain stressed that the exercises, scheduled to continue through tomorrow, were mainly designed to improve cooperation and interoperability between the different branches of the US military.
Though stretched thin by assignments in the Middle East, the US military presence in this region remains very high-profile.
The Kitty Hawk is the only aircraft carrier in the Navy that is permanently based outside of the US. Its home port is Yokosuka, Japan. Its battle group is also the Navy's largest.
The maneuvers are being held over a wide area of the seas between Okinawa and Guam.
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