Japan will join US military drill in California in June
Iran Press TV
Fri Apr 5, 2013 3:37PM GMT
Japan plans to participate in a joint drill with the US military for the first time as the Asian country expands its military ties with the United States, Press TV reports.
The exercise will be held at Camp Pendleton, California, in June and will see a large number of helicopters, three battleships and one support vessel.
“We have been increasing our military exercises with the US military since the 1980s. But this would be the first time at Camp Pendleton that the three branches of Japan's Self-Defense Forces - the ground, air and maritime forces - will participate in a joint drill with the US military,” said Eisuke Tanabe, of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Japan is becoming more proactive militarily, particularly under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has increased military spending for the first time in 11 year.
“We are taking on a different role. We are becoming a more dynamic defense force with more mobility. We will share more of the military responsibility with the United States,” he explained.
This comes at a time of mounting security concerns and tensions in East Asia, particularly on the Korean Peninsula.
On Thursday, Tokyo warned North Korea against its "provocative statements" after Pyongyang stepped up its war rhetoric amid growing US threats.
“We are now worried about the situation with North Korea. Their rhetoric is becoming more dangerous and threatening, particularly their nuclear threats,” noted Eisuke Orito, of the defense ministry's strategic intelligence department.
North Korea has warned that its military had been cleared to carry out a preemptive attack on US targets with "cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear weapons.”
On Friday, North Korea moved a medium-range Musudan missile to its eastern coast, one day after it deployed a Musudan to the coast, with reports saying the missile faced Japan.
MRS/JR
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