The Japanese Land Self-Defense Force has announced that it will hold a joint military exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps and the French Army in May this year. This will be the first time that the French army will participate in military exercises in Japan, and it is the first time that the U.S., Japanese and French land forces will conduct formal exercises in Japan. The joint military exercise, which will take place from May 11 to 17, will also be the first time that the French army will participate in a military exercise in Japan.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, the Japanese Army Self-Defense Force revealed that the military exercises will take place at the Army Self-Defense Force Kirishima exercise site in southern Kyushu, Japan, and in the western sea and airspace of Kyushu. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the U.S. Marine Corps and the French Army will conduct troop transport using helicopters and simulated urban street fighting training at Kirishima. In addition, in the sea and airspace west of Kyushu, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the U.S. Navy and the French Navy will jointly conduct air defense training. The Asahi Shimbun quoted informed sources as saying that the three countries want to strengthen cooperation to keep China in check. Recently, Chinese troops have been frequenting and expanding their operations in the East and South China Seas.
It has been reported that the total number of participants in the military exercises may be around 300, and that all of them will stay at the Kirishima exercise site during the exercises and will be camped there.
Japan’s Chief of Staff Yoshida Keisu said at a press conference on April 15, the United States, Japan and France joint military exercises on the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, is of great significance; France is responsible for maintaining a free and open international order of important countries.
Lin Yingyou, an assistant professor at the Institute of Strategic and International Affairs at Chung Cheng University in Taiwan, said that China has actively linked up with Myanmar in recent years, wanting to break through the “Malacca dilemma” by setting up ports and military bases in Myanmar, so that maritime resource shipments do not have to go through Singapore, directly from Myanmar ashore and enter China through high-speed rail. Therefore, the United States, Japan, Australia, India and France launched a three-day joint military exercise in the Bay of Bengal on the 5th of this month, with the intention of stopping China’s military action; and in May, the United States, Japan and France further joint military exercises, as the participating countries have aircraft carriers, the United States may conduct ship-to-ship combat exercises to familiarize themselves with other countries’ combat systems and models.
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