Journalists Allowed to View Japan-U.S. Exercise

November 5, 2018

Aboard USS Ronald Reagan--U.S. fighter jets performed takeoffs and landings on the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as the U.S. military invited journalists to view the Keen Sword joint exercise with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in the western Pacific Ocean on Saturday.

The biennial exercise, involving the mobilization of 47,000 SDF personnel and 9,500 U.S. troops, started on Monday and will last until Thursday.

The exercise includes training for ballistic missile defense and protection of remote islands, which involves the assumption of an armed attack on Japan.

The exercise started in the late 1980s to help the SDF and the U.S. military increase their combat readiness and interoperability. This year's exercise marks the first participation of Ground SDF amphibious troops tasked with defending remote islands.

The U.S. military's decision to allow journalists to view the exercise is apparently designed to underscore its determination to maintain its deterrence in East Asia.

In the region, dialogue between the United States and North Korea continues, while relations between Japan and China are improving.

But China continues its military expansion into the East China Sea and the South China Sea to support its territorial claims in the region. In addition, the prospect of North Korea's denuclearization is uncertain.

Exercises like Keen Sword are needed to increase naval capabilities in the region and contribute to regional stability, Rear Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the carrier strike group, said at a press conference abroad the vessel.

The SDF will strive to improve its operational capability with the U.S. military, based on the belief that the Japan-U.S. alliance is essential for Indo-Pacific stability, said Rear Adm. Hiroshi Egawa, commander of the Maritime SDF's Escort Flotilla 1. Jiji Press