TOKYO, May 28 -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday inspected the helicopter-carrying destroyer Kaga at the Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, in a demonstration of the deepening alliance between Japan and the United States. It was the first time a U.S. president has stepped aboard a Self-Defense Forces ship, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. In an address to 500 Japanese and American troops, Abe said it was the first time the leaders of the two allies have together given words of encouragement to a combined group of their respective armed forces. "The Japan-U.S. alliance has become more robust than ever under the great partnership that President Trump and I have developed," Abe said on the final day of Trump's four-day state visit to Japan. Referring to a planned refurbishment of the Kaga, Abe expressed Japan's pledge to play its role "with unwavering commitment toward further strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance." Japan plans to convert the Kaga into a carrier able to deploy F-35B stealth fighter jets it has committed to purchase from the United States, a move made in response to the rise of China and its growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Abe thanked the U.S. forces in Japan for ensuring peace and stability and enhancing the regional deterrence provided by the alliance. Trump also underscored the strength of his nation's alliance with Japan and hailed its plan to purchase an additional 105 F-35As from the United States. "This purchase will give Japan the largest fleet of F-35s of any of our allies," he said. "And soon this very ship will be upgraded to carry that cutting-edge aircraft."
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