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New York Times: U.S. Marines and Japanese forces wrap up annual joint drills in Okinawa / Asia / Pentagon / NSS News / Politics / Local America / RSS imported on February 18, 2025 at 1:47 pm
YOKE, Japan — The Japanese Navy and the Marines on Tuesday wrapped up annual joint drills on the southern island of Okinawa, the U.S. military’s largest military installation in the region, as part of an increasing American presence.
The two-week exercise, known as Keen Sword, began on Feb. 5, with almost 14,000 American and Japanese forces participating. The drills included airborne operations, amphibious assaults and the deployment of jet fighters.
“The joint drills aim to improve operational capabilities and strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance,” said Capt. Paige K. Leonhardt, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps.
Despite strained ties between the nations over the presence of a substantial number of U.S. troops on and around Okinawa, Japan’s relationship with the United States remains critical to shaping regional security.
Each year, the two countries conduct roughly a dozen military exercises, drills and joint training sessions, which typically include over 35,000 service members. Okinawa, an ideal location for drills due to its size and extensive training range, has been an essential training ground for years.
The United States recently announced plans to realign its military presence in the Pacific, consolidating troops in the center of the region to respond to emerging challenges from China.
The realignment aims to redistribute forces to Guam, Hawaii and Australia, freeing up thousands of troops and resources that could be redeployed to Japan and other allies, according to officials.
The realignment of forces, which is still in the planning stages, is expected to initially cost over $20 billion and create three times as many jobs according to Lt. Gen. Christopher W. Cavoli, the chief of staff for the Army in the Pacific.
“It’s not just about reshaping military capabilities,” Cavoli said last month. “It’s not just about the security issues. The military doesn’t exist in a vacuum.”
The drills come as both nations face rising security threats in the Indo-Pacific region. As tensions mount in the waters around the Korean Peninsula, North Korea’s recent nuclear test drew global condemnation and intensified the adversarial relationship between Washington and Pyongyang.
A nuclear-armed China and an increasingly assertive Russia, whose military modernization has alarmed some allies, add to the concerns. China has expanded its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where the United States has conducted freedom of navigation operations to counter the country’s territorial claims.
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014 also has heightened concerns among allies in Eastern Europe.
In response, the United States has sought to forge new relationships and deepen existing ones in the region, including the signing of a new security agreement with littoral countries in the Middle East to counter Iran.
The national security strategy set out by the Trump administration last month also stated that the United States would use its military might to promote economic development and address “historical grievances.”
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