U.S., Japanese Forces to Rehearse Defense of Japan’s Southwest Islands

U.S. and Japanese forces will amass in Japan’s southwest region to rehearse island defense as part of the annual Keen Sword exercise later this month. Exercise Keen Sword, which runs from Oct. 19-29, will see integrated air and missile defense, surface warfare, amphibious landing, airborne operations, island deployment and reinforcement and live fire drills, according to documents released Friday by the Japan Ministry of Defense. The island defense exercise has been conducted on a mostly annual basis since 1985. “Through this exercise, the JSDF (Japan Self-Defense Force) and U.S. Forces will maintain and strengthen the posture and capabilities necessary to