USNI News U.S. Begins Joint Exercise in Japan with French and Australian Navies May 13, 2021 6:56 PM American, Japanese, French and Australian commanders salute their respective flags during the opening ceremony for exercise Jeanne D’Arc 21, in Camp Ainoura, Sasebo, Japan, May 11th, 2021. ARC-21 is an opportunity for US, French, Japanese, and Australian forces to share experiences, tactics, and best practices to sharpen their skills together. US Marine Corps Photo The United States, Japan, France and Australia began their joint training exercise Jeanne D’Arc 21 in the Indo-Pacific region this week. The ARC-21 exercise, which will take place throughout Japan from May 11 through 16, includes an initial phase of planning between the French, Japanese and U.S. personnel at Camp Ainoura, Naval Base Sasebo, in preparation for a field training exercise.