Japan, US kickstart joint resolute dragon 25 military drills

Japan and the United States will launch joint military exercises, Resolute Dragon 25, on September 11, the Japanese Ministry of Defence announced. 

The manoeuvres will continue until September 25, covering Okinawa, Kyushu, and Hokkaido, and aim to practice defence scenarios across southern, central, and northern regions, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The exercises will involve over 14,000 Japanese Self-Defence Forces personnel and around 5,000 U.S. military members, including Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force units. For the first time, the new U.S. medium-range missile system Typhon will be temporarily deployed at the Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Planned activities include amphibious operations, live-fire drills, and manoeuvres using artillery and missile systems such as HIMARS, MLRS, and Japan’s Type-12 missiles. Additionally, a new U.S. ship-to-shore missile system, NEMESIS, will be deployed at the Ishigaki base in Okinawa.

The exercises have drawn international attention and domestic criticism. China and Russia condemned the drills, and the Kyushu branch of Japan’s Social Democratic Party also expressed concern.

By Khagan Isayev