The Japanese military will for the first time participate in the large-scale American maneuvers Valiant Shield, which are regularly held every two years in the Pacific Ocean. This year they will be held from June 7 to 18, it was officially announced in Tokyo by the Joint Committee of the Chiefs of Staff of the Self-Defense Forces of the country.
Subdivisions of the Japanese army, air force and navy from nine prefectures will take part in the exercises - a total of about 4 thousand people. US warplanes will be temporarily stationed at Japanese air bases in northeastern Honshu, as well as the remote Ogasawara Islands in the central Pacific. Air exercises between the two countries are expected to take place there.
A joint parachute landing on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido is planned. In the region of the East China Sea, the Japanese missile units, together with the American aviation, will practice interaction when striking enemy ships.
The Valiant Shield maneuvers of the US armed forces have been held in the Pacific Ocean since 2006, nine such exercises have already been conducted in areas from Alaska to the island of Guam. These include naval carrier strike groups as well as observers from many countries in the region.