The exercises centre on Japan’s southwestern islands and waters around its northern coasts, reflecting Tokyo’s growing concern over China’s rapidly expanding military activities in the region. Key locations include Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island just 110 kilometres east of Taiwan, where Japan’s Self-Defence Force has deployed its first long-range Type-25 land-to-ship missile, though no test-firing is planned. The missile has a range of about 1,000 kilometres. For the first time, US ground-based anti-ship missile systems (NMESIS) and air-defence systems (MADIS) have also been stationed on Yonaguni, while a HIMARS mobile rocket launcher has been placed on nearby Ishigaki.
Seven other nations from the Indo-Pacific and Europe are participating in some elements of the exercises, with France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Philippines joining for the first time, according to Japan’s Joint Staff. The drills include amphibious landings, air and missile defence, mine sweeping, intelligence gathering, logistics and casualty evacuation on several remote islands, including Tanegashima.
Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff, denied that the exercises target a specific country. At the opening ceremony on Ishigaki, Adm. Tateki Tawara of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force said: “In order to do so, it is essential to be fully prepared and cooperate with our allies and partners to prevent the crisis.”
The exercises come at a sensitive time, weeks after the arrest of a US Marine in connection with the murder and robbery of a Japanese woman on Okinawa, where most of the 50,000 US troops in Japan are stationed. The incident has renewed anti-base sentiment on the island, where residents have long complained about noise, pollution and crime. Japan’s ties with China have also been strained since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment a year ago that Chinese military action on Taiwan could justify Japanese involvement, a remark that angered Beijing and spilled into the economy.