Japan’s military holds drill on island potentially vulnerable to China
- The drill on Tokunoshima island capped an 11-day series of exercises dubbed 05JX meant to show the readiness of ground, sea and air forces to defend Japan
- PM Fumio Kishida has warned that East Asia could be the next Ukraine, if mainland China, emboldened by Russia’s assault on its neighbour, attacks Taiwan
“The goal of JX is to show that if there is an emergency situation resulting from an attack, that we are able respond in a joint way,” General Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of staff of the Self-Defence Forces’ Joint Staff, said after observing the drill on Tokunoshima.
‘New Cold War’? South Korea, US boost military ties to counter China, the North
China’s defence ministry could not be reached on Sunday for comment on the Japanese drills.
Ground Self-Defence Force amphibious assault vehicles launched from two Maritime Self-Defense Force landing ships anchored offshore. Other troops arrived in semi-inflatable rubber boats, with heavy equipment carried to shore on military hovercraft.
Australia chides ‘unsafe’ conduct after navy divers injured by Chinese sonar
The 43.5 trillion yen (US$290 billion) in planned spending will go to new weapons such as longer-range missiles as well as to increase stocks of spare parts and munitions to fight a sustained conflict.
But the yen’s sharp decline this year has forced Japan to cut back on some planned purchases, including new models of the US-made Chinook helicopters that Japan’s military used in the Tokunoshima drill.