Japan considers holding biggest military exercise with US Marines

Exercise Resolute Dragon between the Ground Self-Defense Forces Japan and the US Marines will take place in September and October. The two sides expect this to be the largest bilateral exercise ever involving the US Marines, according to the newspaper. Nikkei Asia.

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the increase in military power of the ChinaWashington and Tokyo aim to improve readiness to respond to threats security threat in East Asia.

US Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces gather together in 2018. Kyodo

US forces in Japan do not have a command center on the island of Hokkaido. Combat training Resolute Dragon This year is seen as an important opportunity to evaluate the defensive and operational capabilities on the island located near Russia. Last December, the exercise took place for the first time with about 4,000 participants.

One of the goals of the exercise is to increase coordination with the forward operations of the US Marines. The drills also provide an opportunity for Japan and the United States to examine the process of defending remote islands.

The Russian military conducted exercises on the Southern Kuril island group north of Hokkaido in March. The islands are controlled by Russia but claimed by Japan and called the Northern Territories.

Responding to the 2021 drills, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was a “serious challenge and potential threat” to the country’s security.

Japan and the United States have conducted joint exercises more often amid heightened security tensions in East Asia. Bilateral exercises were held 49 times in fiscal 2020, a 40% increase from the previous year, according to Japan’s defense white paper.

In the two months since Russia entered Ukraine on February 24, the two countries have conducted joint exercises about 10 times, mainly with the participation of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have increased their readiness to respond on the southwestern flank of the country, including the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea and the Nansei Islands extending towards Taiwan. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has promoted the strengthening of defenses in the north, as well as ensuring the ability to deal with missiles.