Today (8) Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force's airborne force "First Airborne Regiment" held an annual outlying island defense exercise, conducting airborne and rapid island capture exercises.

For the first time, the United Kingdom and Australia sent troops to participate in the joint training.

(Reuters)

[Instant News/Comprehensive Report] Japan has cooperated closely with Western countries in recent years. Today (8th), the Airborne Force "First Airborne Regiment" of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force held an annual outlying island defense exercise, conducting airborne and rapid island capture exercises.

For the first time, the United Kingdom and Australia sent troops to participate in the joint training.

Based on Japanese media reports, the 1st Airborne Regiment is the only paratrooper airborne unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force. The main task of this unit is to recapture the occupied outlying islands. Every January, it conducts public training at the Narashino base exercise field in Chiba Prefecture.

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This year, in addition to about 1,000 members of the 1st Airborne Regiment and about 70 U.S. military members, about 30 British and Australian soldiers participated for the first time.

The Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military sent a total of 22 transport planes and helicopters to participate in the exercise, while American and British soldiers parachuted from Japanese and American transport planes.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasuichi Hamada said in an interview after the training that today's training demonstrates the strong cooperative relationship between Japan and its allies and friendly countries.

The Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military sent a total of 22 transport planes and helicopters to participate in the exercise, while American and British soldiers parachuted from Japanese and American transport planes.

(Reuters)