According to a report by Japan's Kyodo News Agency on the 17th, Japan and the US will carry out large-scale joint military exercises on the “Sword 27” in many parts of Japan from the 19th to the 29th, with a total investment of close to 60,000 people, causing widespread concern and opposition within Japan. The report said that this exercise is a comprehensive training covering all military forces in the army, sea, and air forces, and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the US military will invest about 45,000 and 12,000 people respectively. In addition, countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines will also participate, with the latter 5 participating for the first time. It is worth noting that the Japanese government will participate in this exercise in March of this year with the “Type 25 surface-to-ship missile” that was forcibly deployed in Kumamoto Prefecture despite opposition from local people. The missile will be transferred from Kumamoto Prefecture to the Onohara training ground across Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures. The missile has a range of about 1,000 km, far exceeding Japanese territory. The report said that the US military will also invest in advanced military equipment, including deploying a “navy/marine expedition ship interception system” and “integrated maritime air defense system” to Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the westernmost tip of Japan for the first time. Off the coast of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region of Japan, Japan and the US will also carry out training to deal with ballistic missiles and military aircraft, and conduct drills such as parachuting, amphibious vehicle landing, and casualty treatment in many parts of Japan, as well as training related to supporting land, sea, and air forces in space and cyberspace. This military exercise has aroused widespread concern and opposition in Japan. According to recent Japanese media reports, since October, popular protests have broken out one after another in Okinawa, Nagasaki, Oita and other places, demanding the cancellation of exercises and the cessation of military training at civilian facilities. Many civil society groups have pointed out that this move by Japan and the US will only increase regional tension and put local people at risk.

Disclaimer:Webull uses external vendor Google Translation Service for news translations where we endeavour to ensure these are correct, however, we recommend that you please double-check this information accordingly. Webull is not responsible for translation errors or issues.