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Image source, United States Navy / MC2 Erica Bechard
The ship of the US Navy and Japan Self-Defense Forces began Exercise Keen Sword 21 on October 26, 2020
The commander of the US forces in Japan said the capabilities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the US military could be used to “send troops into combat to defend” the Senkaku Islands in the South China Sea.
Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider made the statement in a speech to reporters Monday aboard a Navy Self-Defense Force destroyer during a large-scale rally, called Keen Sword 21 (KS21). between the United States and Japan began the same day, according to Reuters.
He said the US military and the Japan Self-Defense Force are working to “develop new and better ways to operate and further integrate these exercises.”
He said an exercise like Keen Sword 21 “clearly demonstrates the growing capabilities of the US-Japan alliance.”
Lieutenant General Schneider emphasized that the two nations’ ability to transport personnel “could be used to send troops into combat to protect Senkaku.”
Image source, fake images
Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Lt. General Kevin Schneider (right) during the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-US security treaty at Iikura Guesthouse in Tokyo on January 19, 2020
Officials at the Japanese Ministry of Defense took Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider’s remarks as a warning to China, which is stepping up its operations in waters near the Senkaku Islands.
Japan controlled the Senkakus. While China and Taiwan claim sovereignty over these islands. The Japanese government maintains the islands as an inherent part of Japanese territory.
In July, Schneider pledged to help Japan in the archipelago. He said his country was “fully 100% committed to helping” the Japanese government with the situation.
According to the press release from the US Department of Defense, the biennial field drills sponsored by the US Pacific Fleet, known as Keen Sword 21, begin on October 26.
Exercise Keen Sword 21, which runs through Nov. 5, is designed to improve combat readiness and interoperability between Japan and the United States while strengthening bilateral relations and demonstrating resolve. The United States’ focus on supporting the security interests of allies and partners in the region, according to the statement.
Keen Sword 21 is the first major exercise since Yoshihide Suga became Japan’s prime minister last month, promising to continue to build an army against China, which claims the islands from Japan. Control copy in the East China Sea, Reuters reported.
Image source, Us navy
“The security situation around Japan has become increasingly serious. This gives us an opportunity to show the strength of the Japan-US alliance,” said General Koji Yamazaki, Japan’s top military commander. Kaga helicopter aircraft carrier in the waters of southern Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited Vietnam and Indonesia this month as part of Japan’s efforts to strengthen ties with key allies in Southeast Asia.
The trip comes after the Tokyo meeting of the “Quartet,” an informal group from India, Australia, Japan and the United States that Washington sees as a wall against growing influence in the China region.
According to Reuters, Beijing has denounced this as a “mini NATO” aimed at restraining China.
Japan is particularly concerned about an increase in Chinese naval activity around the disputed islands in the East China Sea that Tokyo calls Senkaku and Beijing calls Diaoyu.
“Despite the enormous global impact of Covid, the US-Japan alliance has not failed and we are still ready to fight and win.” Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of US forces in Japan, confirmed.
Image source, Us navy
Approximately 9,000 personnel from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps participated in the exercise, including ships from the Ronald Reagan Aviation Strike Group and more than 100 aircraft from another U.S. unit. .
Units of the U.S. Army and its counterpart from the Japan Self-Defense Force will train in a comprehensive scenario designed to carry out the critical capabilities necessary to support the Japanese defense and respond to a crisis or unusual situation in the region of the Indo-Pacific, the statement from the US Department of Defense said.
