Since October 20, a major joint maneuver has been taking place in Japan between the Ground, Air and Sea Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) has been taking place. Such large-scale maneuvers are held every two years, with this year’s maneuver being the largest in the history of the JDSF since it was founded in 1954.
The participating personnel include around 52,000 Japanese soldiers and 6,000 members of the US forces and an Australian contingent of around 230 people. Approximately 4,100 vehicles, 60 ships and around 300 aircraft will be deployed.
Exercises take place in the air and sea space around Japan and in more than 40 different regions and locations throughout the country, from the northernmost main island of Hokkaido to the islands of Okinawa Prefecture in the south. These include Japanese and American military bases, as well as civilian seaports and airports. The latter because training is also carried out in the event that military airports are destroyed by enemy action and civilian facilities have to be used.
The planned or already implemented content of the wide-ranging exercise program includes
- The transportation of seriously wounded people from the islands in the south to military hospitals on the main island of Kyushu and in central Japan.
- The transfer of troops, mobile radar systems and other equipment from northern Japan to southern Japan.
- Touch-and-go maneuvers as well as landing, refueling and take-off of F15 fighter aircraft at civil airports.
- The restoration of damaged runways at air bases by pioneers of the air and ground forces.
- Airborne landings in southern Japan by parts of the Japanese 1st Airborne Brigade by day and night by parachute jump and helicopter as well as the dropping of supplies.
- A live firing by parts of the American 3rd Marine Division with the Himars multiple rocket launcher system in the Fuji maneuver area in central Japan.
- The defense of aircraft and ships by sea- and land-based guided missile systems.
- Flights of Scan Eagle reconnaissance drones.
- Facility protection for military bases, including NBC defense and decontamination.
- The supply of ammunition and fuel by civilian and military ships.
- The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force’s amphibious rapid deployment brigade stationed in Sasebo is responsible for defending against enemy landings and conducting its own amphibious landing operations by day and night.
- The laying and clearing of sea mines by American and Japanese naval units and the erection of landing obstacles on the coasts.
In addition to the conventional armed forces, cyber defense forces and electronic warfare units are also involved in the exercises. The large-scale maneuver will end on October 31.
Here for more news about the Japanese armed forces and here to further reports on the US armed forces.
