Japan holds military drills in north as it faces Russia, China threat

The Associated Press

The earth shook and explosions boomed in the crisp winter air of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in early December 2021, as dozens of tanks and Soldiers carried out drills at a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) post that has long served to keep an eye on neighboring Russia, while showcasing the nation’s military prowess as Tokyo also faces China’s rise.

A team of four tanks, each carrying three Soldiers, fired shells and machine guns at targets representing enemy missiles, armored vehicles or troops as hundreds of other Soldiers cheered on the sidelines and waved their unit flags. (Pictured: Japan Ground-Self Defense Force Type 90 tanks participate in drills on the island of Hokkaido in December 2021.)

The exercise, which ran through mid-December, involved about 1,300 JGSDF troops — about 550 of whom completed the actual drills, according to Japan’s Northern Army Headquarters.

Drills focused on training Soldiers for speed and accuracy in shooting targets that randomly appeared at ranges of 300 meters to 3 kilometers.

The training came as China and Russia have stepped up military cooperation in recent years. Among Japan’s biggest worries is China’s increased naval activity, which has prompted Tokyo to rapidly increase troop deployment and missile defenses across southern Japan, including on remote islands.

China’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. China has sent a fleet of armed coast guard boats to routinely circle the islands and enter Japanese-claimed waters, sometimes chasing Japanese fishing boats.

As a result, Tokyo has shifted its focus on defense from northern to southern Japan in recent years. 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, space and other tech domains.

But Hokkaido, with its large open spaces, remains an important training ground for Japanese troops, officials said. Besides the northern island, Japan’s main tank exercise grounds are at Mount Fuji and Oita in the south.

Japan has also rapidly expanded its role in its security alliance with the U.S., including through purchases of weapons and equipment, such as fighter jets and missile interceptors.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October 2021, said during his first troop review that he would consider “all options,” including possibly pursuing preemptive strike capabilities to further “increase Japan’s defense power.”

IMAGE CREDIT: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS