Japan and the United States began a major joint military exercise on Thursday. in southwestern Japan, a region partly claimed by China, after North Korea fired dozens of missiles.
The biannual “Keen Sword” exercises began at a Japanese Air Force base in southern Japan and will continue through November 19 at several other locations in and around Japan.
About 26,000 Japanese and 10,000 US troops, as well as 30 ships and 370 aircraft from both sides, are expected to participate in the exercises, Japan’s defense ministry said. Australia, Great Britain and Canada are also participating in parts of the exerciseshe added.
Joint field exercises, including amphibious landings, are planned in remote islands in southwestern Japan, including Tokunoshima, Amami and Tsutarajima.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, where it has already built artificial islands equipped with military facilities and airfields. Beijing also claims a number of Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.
The joint exercise comes after North Korea has fired at least 34 missiles since Nov. 2, the latest being Wednesday, into the Sea of Japan.
On November 3, the Pyongyang regime fired three ballistic missiles, one of which triggered warnings in various regions of Japan, despite apparently not having flown over the archipelago due to a mid-flight malfunction.
Referring to deteriorating security in the region, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to significantly increase the country’s military capability and possibly allow a preemptive strike capability to attack enemy missile launch sites.
These plans will be incorporated into a revised medium to long-term national security strategy and defense guidelines, expected to be released later this year.
Source: DN
