The United States and Japan launched their biennial joint military exercise, "Keen Sword," involving the Taiwan Strait on Monday, with activities unfolding across multiple locations in Japan and continuing through October 29. The exercise will involve approximately 45,000 Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel and 12,000 U.S. military personnel, making it one of the largest in the history of the U.S.-Japan alliance. In preparation, the U.S. has deployed the Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a coastal anti-ship missile system, to Yonaguni Island—the westernmost inhabited island of Japan, located about 110 kilometers from Taiwan. During the exercise, Japan’s long-range 25-type surface-to-ship missile system will be stationed at a training facility in southern Kyushu—marking the first deployment of these missiles beyond their base in Kumamoto Prefecture since their arrival earlier this year. These mobile missile systems have a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers, enabling coverage of parts of China’s coastal regions when launched from Kyushu. On Tuesday, Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported detecting People’s Liberation Army aircraft, unmanned reconnaissance drones, and naval vessels in nearby waters, prompting an immediate scramble of Japanese fighter jets.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1879635111559305/
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