TOKYO — Japanese and U.S. forces are for the first time conducting joint drills simulating the evacuation of residents of Japan’s southwestern islands, in an apparent move to ensure the two allies can coordinate quickly and effectively in the event of a conflict around Taiwan.
Keen Sword, the largest U.S.-Japan joint exercise this fiscal year, involves 45,000 personnel from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the U.S. military, with a total of 40 ships and 370 aircraft from the two countries.