Japan announces plans to join US in joint-force drills in June

Editor’s Note: This piece by Seth Robson and Hana Kusumoto features quotes from CSP Senior Fellow, Grant Newsham.

TOKYO — One of America’s largest warfighting exercises in the Pacific is getting bigger with the addition of Japanese forces.

Troops from both nations will participate in June in Valiant Shield, a biennial drill that for the first time will include training in Japan, a spokesman for the country’s Joint Staff said by phone Friday. Japanese government spokespeople are often required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

About 4,000 Japanese troops, eight vessels and 60 aircraft will join Valiant Shield from June 7 to 18, the Japanese spokesman said.

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The Chinese drills off Taiwan will add urgency to Valiant Shield, although it was scheduled long before the latest tensions, said Grant Newsham, a retired Marine colonel and senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.

“No need to imagine an imaginary enemy and an imaginary fight – as is sometimes the case with military exercises,” he said. “I suppose this is one more thing we can thank (Chinese President) Xi Jinping for. He’s certainly concentrated minds.”

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