Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps began the Resolute Dragon exercise on Saturday to improve island defense skills. The drill runs through June 30 across the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture.
The GSDF will deploy V-22 Osprey aircraft from Camp Saga to Miyako Island for the first time to practice casualty transport to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Lt Gen Seiji Toriumi, commanding general of the GSDF Western Army, said at the opening ceremony that demonstrating defense capabilities "is very important for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
With Chinese vessels repeatedly entering waters near the Senkaku Islands, Type 10 tanks will join at the Hijudai training range in Oita Prefecture but will not fire main guns following an April incident.