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Japan-US island defense drill opened to media

Through the Iron Fist drill at the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, the two countries aim to enhance their capabilities to cooperate in island defense. (AFP)
Through the Iron Fist drill at the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, the two countries aim to enhance their capabilities to cooperate in island defense. (AFP)
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17 Feb 2020 01:02:28 GMT9
17 Feb 2020 01:02:28 GMT9

SAN DIEGO: Japan and the United States have recently let media organizations inspect a joint drill to defend and recapture remote islands going on at a Marine Corps base in California.

Through the Iron Fist drill at the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, the two countries aim to enhance their capabilities to cooperate in island defense and recapture operations as China's maritime expansion is progressing.

The drill, which began Jan. 5 and is set to run until Feb. 27, was opened to the media between Monday and Wednesday.

From Japan, members of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade participate in the exercise. The brigade is a team of island defense specialists.

During the drill, brigade members dashed out of a Marine Corps Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as soon as it landed. Japanese and US amphibious assault vehicles came ashore after storming out of US Navy landing ships.

This year, the brigade's second regiment takes part in Iron Fist for the first time. Japanese and US participants practiced airmobile, urban suppression and landing operations to confirm how they would cooperate to protect and recapture remote islands.

Closer cooperation with the SDF will allow the US military to respond more speedily and effectively to a crisis in the Indo-Pacific region, said Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

Maj. Gen. Takanori Hirata, commanding general of the GSDF amphibious brigade, said the security environment surrounding Japan is changing even more rapidly.

The importance of island defense is increasing more and more, he said.

Iron Fist, which began in 2005, is the 15th of its kind. This year, 330 members of the GSDF brigade's second regiment participate after the first regiment finished training last year.

JIJI Press

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