The U.S. Coast Guard is set to ramp up its activities with Indo-Pacific partners as it plans more combined operations at sea, including a pollution response exercise next year alongside the Japanese and Indian coast guards, the agency¡¯s regional chief said in an exclusive interview.

The trilateral drills will take place at Tokyo¡¯s request, USCG Pacific Area Commander Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson told The Japan Times, noting that this and other regional, cooperative initiatives are the result of ¡°near-continuous staff talks between the services.¡±

¡°The U.S. and Japan continue to seek opportunities to deepen our services¡¯ relationship through collaboration on combined operations and exercises, professional and academic exchanges, training, and capacity building,¡± Tiongson said, pointing to the as the basis for expanding the joint activities.