US takes part in multinational wargames as Ukraine invasion anniversary nears

The US Army launched military exercises with the Kenya armed forces on Monday. American troops will also take part in wargames with Pakistan and separate drills with Japan. This flurry of activity precedes joint South Africa/Russia/China military manoeuvres coinciding with the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald during a live-fire drill in the waters near the Pacific island of Guam. © PATRICK DIONNE / US NAVY / AFP

Just days before South Africa hosts joint naval exercises with China and Russia, the US is taking part in the "Justified Accord 23" war games, scheduled from 13 to 24 February, officially a "multinational exercise" consisting of "field training, live-fire and maritime exercises," as well as "special operations and cyber courses."

The US military called it "US Africa Command's largest exercise in East Africa."

Kenya hosts the manoeuvres that will involve events in Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana and Djibouti.

• South Africa risks US ire by staging naval exercises with China and Russia

Stay tuned...

Justified Accord 23, @USAfricaCommand's largest exercise in East Africa, is coming soon.

Led by @SETAF_Africa, this multinational exercise brings together more than 20 countries from three continents.#StrongAfrica #StrongerTogether #JustifiedAccord pic.twitter.com/ttNPtPdu2i

— U.S. Army Europe and Africa (@USArmyEURAF) February 10, 2023

Meanwhile, the US Navy is also represented at the so-called Peace, or Aman, exercises being hosted by Pakistan, and scheduled to end this week.

According to FirstPost, the Pakistani Navy invited  110 countries to take part in Aman 23, but only seven are taking part. The participants are the US, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Italy, and Japan.

In 2021, the last time Pakistan staged the Aman exercises, Russia took part as well. 

Heightened tensions

The US Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

In this photo provided by Chad Fish, the remnants of a large balloon drift above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it, Feb. 4, 2023. AP - Chad Fish

The 7th Fleet based in Japan said Sunday that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have been conducting operations in the South China Sea.

It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when they began or whether they had ended.

These three separate sets of wargames precede naval exercises hosted by South Africa later this month, in which Chinese and Russian ships will take part. The exercises coincide with the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

It will be only the second time that the naval forces of the three countries have held joint operations. The first took place in November 2019 in Cape Town, just before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With news agencies)