Japan Press Weekly

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2024 August 21 - 27 [SDF]

SDF participated in 66 military drills with European and Indo-Pacific troops in FY2022

Akahata learned on August 26 that the Self-Defense Forces in FY2022 participated in 66 joint training exercises conducted by European and Indo-Pacific armed forces for a total of 555 days.

Akahata learned this from the materials obtained from the Defense Ministry through an information disclosure request.

According to Akahata, all troops are of countries that are allies or “partners” of the United States: Australia, France, Canada, South Korea, India, the U.K., the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Akahata pointed out that the U.S. government has an “integrated deterrence” strategy in order to counter China in coordination with U.S. allies and partners in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and that the SDF, which is incorporated into a U.S. “military bloc” strategy, has been strengthening its ties with “like-minded countries” and playing a part in dividing the world into two blocs by expanding the U.S.-led military bloc.