According to a report in the Japanese economic news on the 24th, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the US military have held the “Sword 25” joint exercise since October 23, a total of 45,000 U. S. , Japanese and other military personnel in Japan throughout the exercise. During the exercise, Japan and the United States will jointly train for the first time in evacuating people from the southwestern Japanese islands and transferring wounded and sick people from the front lines to Okinawa or Honsh?. Some military experts believe that the“Sword” exercise is becoming more realistic and targeted, the United States and its allies to create regional tensions in the asia-pacific, and to profit from it.
This is the 17th us-japan sword exercise, which began in 1985. According to Japanese“Yomiuri Shimbun” website reported on the 22nd, the“Sword” exercise is in the sea and air around Japan and bases held in the largest japan-us joint military exercises. “Japan Economic News” reported on the 24th, the joint military exercise will last until November 1, a 10-day period. The Japan Self-Defense Forces will send 33,000 people, 30 ships and 250 aircraft, while the US military will send about 12,000 people, 10 ships and 120 aircraft. Australia and Canada also sent troops to participate in some subjects of the exercise.
According to the Kyodo news agency, the Ministry of Defense’s Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff Yoshida Kyu-soo, and Commander Stephen Kyle of the US Pacific Fleet held a press conference on the 22nd at the US military’s Sasebo base in Japan. Japan, Yoshida said, “Will show itself in the indo-pacific region and will not tolerate the firm will to change the status quo by force”. He also said it could not be ruled out that“Something as serious as Ukraine could happen” around Japan. “During the exercise, everyone will see our responsibility to protect the Japanese from any threat of aggression,” Kyle said
The joint military exercise mainly includes land, sea and air combat training, protection of maritime traffic routes, protection of important facilities, logistics supplies. As well as related to space, network, electromagnetic wave and other fields of combat training, the main goal is to strengthen the U. S. and Japanese forces cooperation. Both sides sent advanced equipment to participate in the exercise, such as F-22, F-35 stealth fighters, V-22“Osprey” transport aircraft.
According to the Nikkei, one of the subjects featured in the exercise was evacuation and casualty transport training in the southwestern Japanese islands of Yonaguni Island, Okinawa Prefecture. According to the plan drawn up by the Japanese government, in the event of an emergency, civilian aircraft and ships will be dispatched to evacuate all residents of Yonaguni Island, except self-defence forces and government workers, to Kyushu ? Ky?sh? in about one day. Although the evacuation training was conducted in the name of Disaster Prevention, a self-defense force official said it could also be useful“In Taiwan.”.
The use of osprey transport aircraft is a major feature of the evacuation training. Reported that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U. S. military “Osprey” transport aircraft will carry out the evacuation of personnel from Yonaguni Island operations. It was also the first time the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Osprey had flown to Okinawa, Hon-jima and Yonaguni Island.
Although the osprey can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and can fly at high speed over long distances, safety problems caused by its design flaws have been criticized. A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force osprey made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Prefecture’s Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Deer House Air Base, Kyodo news agency reported. No one was hurt. It is reported that the cause of the accident may be due to engine oil system failure.
On the“Sword 25” exercise, military expert Zhang Junshe told the global times that Japan has been trying to rely on the United States to expand its military influence in Asia. The essence of this exercise is that the two sides make use of each other and collude with each other, which undoubtedly undermines regional peace and stability.
Another domestic military expert believes that in recent years, the reality and pertinence of us-japan military exercises have become more and more strong, its settings are getting closer to real-world security-that is, against its“Imaginary enemy” or main opponent. On the Taiwan side, the United States and Japan say their biggest problem is a lack of military bases near the island to deploy troops quickly. The US and Japan have been positioning themselves in Ryukyu Islands in recent years to exploit the region’s potential, making full use of space within the region and easing pressure on it to “Block the region”.
The exercise also triggered discontent and protests in Japan. “South Japan News” reported that anti-joint exercises of the public groups on the 23rd to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Yanmei garrison and Seto sub-garrison submitted a request to suspend the training. “The frequent movement of SDF vehicles has Hung Up the residents, hoping to restore calm to the island,” said a group leader
Russia also responded to the“Sword 25” exercise. Russian foreign ministry spokesman Zacharová said Tuesday that Russia “Has sufficient military, political and other means to eliminate all threats”, TASS news agency reported.