🇯🇵🇺🇸 Japan-U.S. Drill to Include Missiles

Japan and the United States will begin the Keen Sword exercise in October, with Japan expected to involve its Type-25 long-range surface-to-ship missiles in the joint field training. Japan's Defense Ministry is considering moving the missiles from Camp Kengun to the Oyanohara Maneuver Area in Kumamoto Prefecture, while U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces will share target information and confirm launch procedures without an actual firing.

The missiles were deployed to southwestern Japan in March as part of Tokyo's new counterstrike capability, intended to allow direct strikes on enemy territory in an emergency. Their inclusion in a major bilateral drill reflects Japan's broader defense shift amid security pressure from China and North Korea, alongside increased defense spending and a reinterpretation of its postwar security posture.

The exercise adds an operational layer to Japan's long-range strike preparations by integrating the capability into alliance procedures rather than only domestic deployment.

#Japan #USA

@asianomics