Ships' maintenance parts exchanged by two officers expanded the capabilities of two navies, March 11, in Guam.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) and JDS Ikazuchi (DD 107) conducted a parts transfer using the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreements (ACSA) process.

ACSA transfers are intended to provide acquisition options for logistics in support of exercises or contingencies.

Lt. Nicolas Segovia, supply officer aboard Stethem, conducted the transfer with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) counterpart Lt. Takaaki Maeda, representative aboard Ikazuchi, said the process represents new possibilities for partnership between the two countries.

"The ACSA part transfer was a perfect opportunity to further expand our relationship with the JMSDF," said Segovia. "In real-life scenarios, ACSA transfers give both of us the flexibility to execute the mission."

These two ships are the first to conduct an ACSA between their respective navies, having performed the very first transfer one week prior.

Using ACSA, the United States can exchange common types of support such as provisions, fuel, transportation, ammunition, or equipment with a foreign nation.

"It took the coordination of different people from multiple organizations all working in concert to pull this off," Segovia said. "Our next step is to provide greater support, whether that is multiple items, repairables, or even food subsistence items."

Stethem is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

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