Japan has rapidly grown its role in its security alliance with Washington, and has made more purchases of costly American weapons and equipment, including fighter jets and missile interceptors. Besides the northern island, Japan’s main tank exercise grounds are nearby Mount Fuji and Oita in the south.Īrchconservative former premier Shinzo Abe significantly expanded Japan's military role and budget, during his more than eight-year rule, which ended in 2020. Heavy combat tanks and their units on Hokkaido - an old stronghold for Japanese forces - have also been reduced, as defense priorities have grown to include cyber, outer space and other tech dimensions.īut Hokkaido, with its large open spaces, remains an important training ground for Japanese troops, army officials said. The result has been that Tokyo has shifted its focus on defense from northern to southern Japan in recent years. China has sent a fleet of armed coast guard boats to routinely circle them and to go in and out of Japanese-claimed waters, sometimes chasing Japanese fishing boats in the area. The training comes as China and Russia have stepped up military cooperation in recent years in an attempt to counter the region's U.S.-led bloc.Īmong Japan’s biggest worries is China’s increased naval activity, which has prompted Tokyo to rapidly step up troop deployment and missile defenses across southern Japan, including on remote islands.Ĭhina’s buildup of military facilities in the South China Sea has heightened Tokyo’s concerns in the East China Sea, where the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands are also claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu. The drill focus on training soldiers for speed and accuracy in shooting targets that randomly appear from the range of 300 meters (984 feet) to 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) during a 15-minute session.
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