Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force conducts its largest-scale firepower exercise, simulating island defense operations and incorporating anti-drone combat drills

On June 7, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force launched the largest domestic live-fire exercise—Fujisaki Combined Arms Fire Exercise—at the East Fuji Training Area in Shizuoka Prefecture. Held annually, this exercise once again deployed artillery, tanks, and other equipment to simulate scenarios of island defense operations, fully demonstrating the entire process of counterattacking following an enemy invasion. Drawing on real-world experiences from the Ukraine and Middle East battlefields, the drill introduced increasingly critical anti-drone combat elements. Due to a fatal accident during a live-fire training session at the Otsu Training Facility in Ōita Prefecture in April, which resulted in four casualties involving the Type 10 tank, this year’s exercise suspended all shooting activities related to the Type 10 tank.

Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the event in person. During the exercise, Self-Defense Forces personnel used rifles equipped with automatic targeting systems to shoot down incoming drones; various types of shells were successively fired at simulated enemy targets, eliminating fictional adversaries entrenched in trenches. To replace the Type 10 tanks, older-model 90-type tanks were used, firing non-lethal training rounds for relevant exercises.

As a core component of the Japanese government’s so-called "retaliatory capability" (i.e., offensive strike capability against enemy bases), long-range missiles also made an appearance in this exercise. The 25-type high-speed glide missile launch vehicles, deployed since March at the Fujisaki base in Shizuoka Prefecture, were showcased—but did not conduct live firings. Instead, footage of the missile launch was displayed on large screens at the site.

A total of approximately 3,000 personnel, including command units, participated in the exercise, which was conducted in both day and night phases, consuming about 69.5 tons of ammunition in total.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867331102523401/

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