VII. Military Training Exercises
In 2015, JSDF maintained and enhanced the training of its field forces, especially the training of such special forces as the rapid response units, amphibious operation units for the purpose of improving the capability of mobile operations as well as the capability of joint operations. The military exercises featured real combat, clear target, real scenarios and definite assumed enemy.
Meanwhile, Japan, through joint military exercises, continued to improve its bilateral or multilateral military cooperation with the US or its “security partners” and to promote JSDF participation in international military cooperation in an attempt to construct the so-called “Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation Web” with Japan playing a leading role.
In 2015, JSDF military exercises fell into the following three categories：
Firstly, military exercises conducted by the JSDF alone. In 2015, the JSDF conducted series of large-scale joint real combat exercises, real combat exercises and coordinated transfer drills.
From late October of 2015 to the middle of November of 2016, the JGSDF, JMSDF and JASDF conducted large-scale joint real combat exercises, involving over 25,000 personnel of the JSDF.
The exercises, including the large-scale transfer of the tank units from Hokkaido to the southwestern islands （for the first time in history）, the rapid deployment of the surface-to-ship missile unit from Kyusu to Okinawa, electronic warfare and cyber warfare and so on, reflected definite defense focus and assumed enemy orientation. In the annual Fuji Firepower Demonstration held in August, the JGSDF, with subject of “island defense”, conducted island capturing exercises once again. As to the real combat exercises at the army level, the Northern, the Western and the Eastern Army carried out army exercises respectively in early October, late October and mid-November, involving 24,000 personnel and more than 5000 tanks, guns and armored vehicles. Among them, the one that involved the Western Army and the Central Rapid-Response Force was of the largest scale and included such subjects as “island defense” and landing operation. From June to July, and from September to November, the Eastern, the Central and the Northern Army conducted respectively coordinated transfer exercises, long-distance mobile and tactic drills, involving thousands of personnel. In late November, the JMSDF conducted the annual real combat exercises and joint drills with the US 7 Fleet with the focus on anti-submarine combat and maritime operations, involving about 25 Japanese ships and 60 aircraft.
Moreover, the JMSDF maintained highly intensified off-shore and blue-sea tactic drills. As to the JASDF, the focus of drills was on the backbone airborne squadron. In addition, the JMSDF conducted joint exercises with the Maritime Security Bureau. In June, they carried out joint exercises of tracking foreign suspicious vehicles and long-distance escort of foreign crews； in July, the two sides held the first joint exercise dealing with scenario of “grey belt off the Izu Islands, involving two frigates from the JMSDF and two large patrol ships from the Maritime Security Bureau.
Secondly, joint military exercises between Japan and the US. In 2015, against the backdrop of the release of the new Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, the US and Japan enhanced the institutional cooperation in military exercises with the US forces intensifying the JSDF training in island attack and defense and amphibious operations. In addition to the series of annual routine real combat exercises conducted by the JSDF and the US army and Marine Corps garrisoning in Japan, at the beginning of 2015, Japan went on dispatching main forces related to the “amphibious mobile unit” being under construction to participate in the “Iron Fist” joint military exercise with the US at Pendleton Camp in California, receiving “special training” from the US Marine Corps. In February, Japan and the US held the “North Wind” joint military drills in Hokkaido, in which the 1 st Airborne Regiment of the JGSDF carried out joint airborne landing Infantry Division for the first time. Also in February, with the 4 Airborne Regiment of the 25 th SS-503, the most advanced of the Soryu-class submarines, visited Pearl Harbour for joint drills with the US Navy. In September, Japan sent not only the “elite forces” of the Western Army and the Central Rapid-Response Force but also some ships and aircraft to Pendleton as part of the US-Japan “Dawn Bliz” joint military exercise, carrying out island capture drills. This was the first massive US-Japan joint military exercise since the release of the new Guidelines for Japan-U.S.
Defense Cooperation. Meanwhile, Japan sent troops to the state of Washington for “Rising Thunder” real combat exercises with the US forces. At the end of 2015, the JGSDF and the US forces held the annual routine Yamazakura Command Post Map Exercise in Tokyo, involving 6,500 personnel from Japan and the US（5 additional military observers from Australia）, carrying out coordination drills such as offshore island defense, anti-missile and cyber operations. As regard to maritime and air powers, from March to April, three destroyers of the JMSDF including JS Atago （DDG-177） sailed for the Guam for joint anti-submarine, anti-missile drills as part of the “Multi-sail” military exercise organized by the US forces. From September to October, JS Hyuga （DDH-181） and JS Ashigara （DDG-178） and the airborne squadron equipped with P-3C anti-submarine fighters, having participated in the “Dawn Bliz” joint military exercise, made for Hawaii for US-Japan joint drills. Apart from conducting joint drills with the US forces garrisoningin Japan, the JASDF dispatched fighters to the US for training and large-scale military exercises,
for example, the annual routine Exercise Red Flag Alaska.
Thirdly, Bilateral and multilateral exercises involving Japan. In 2015, Japan put much importance on bolstering cooperation of military exercises with its main “security partners” in Asia-Pacific areas, attempting to construct a “small NATO of Asia-Pacific”. In July, for the first time, Japan took part in the biennial Exercise TALISMAN SABRE held by the US and Australia, joint landing operation, shooting and the like with forces from the two countries. In October, after an interval of 6 years, with the JMSDF sending JS Fuyuzuki （DD-118） for a joint drill with USS Theodore Roosevelt （CVN-71） and Indian warships, Japan participated in Exercise Malabar held by the US and India. Also in October, the JMSDF and Australian navy and air force held Exercise Trident, a joint military exercise involving JS Kirisame （DD-104） and P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft from Escort Flotilla 4. In October, JS Onami （DD-111） and DDH-977 （ROK Daejoyoung） took part in an annual joint SAREX in the Pacific.
As for regional security cooperation, Japan continued to bolster its cooperation with ASEAN.
In February, JSDF sent personnel to Thailand for joint exercise Cobra Gold hosted by Thailand, which involved the US, China and ASEAN member nations. About 100 personnel from JGSDF and JASDF attended the exercise for evacuation of overseas Japanese nationals after assumed
accident or disaster. Japan also sent military personnel for joint disaster rescue drills of ASEAN Rescue Forum hosted by Malaysia, joint drills of UN peace-keeping operations and joint exercise Pacific Partnership hosted by the Philippines and Fiji. Meanwhile, Japan, through the engagement in the disputes over South China Sea, enhanced military cooperation with ASEAN countries. In April, JS Kirisame （DD-104） and JS Asayuki （DD-132） with about 400 personnel on board arrived at Da Nang in central Vietnam after visiting Indonesia. In May, JMSDF sent ships and vessels for anti-pirate and communication exercises with Philippine Coast Guard and Navy ships in the Manila Bay. The JMSDF P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft landed and stayed at Da Nang in the north of Cam Ranh Bay during the visit to Vietnam. Late in June, JMSDF sent P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft to the Philippines for Japan-Philippine joint maritime exercise, carrying out joint training for S＆R and disaster relief. In addition, Japan bolstered its cooperation with the island countries of the Indian Ocean in South Asia. In April, JS Murasame （DD-101） and JS Ikazuchi （DD-107） headed for the Indian Ocean for a joint tactical drill with the navy of Sri Lanka. And in May, JS Suzunami （DD-114） was sent for a joint exercise with Maldivian navy. In November, JS Suzunami （DD-114） and JS Makinami （DD-112） attended another joint exercise with the navy of Sri Lanka.
Besides, Japan conducted a series of joint exercises with the European countries, with cooperation between Japan and France being the most frequent. Late in May, the JDS Osumi （LST-4001） and the 22 Airborne Squadron were involved in a joint military exercise conducted by the navies of Japan, the US and France in the western waters of Kyushu, and in late October, the JS Abukuma （DE-229） and French ships carried out another military exercise in the waters around Okinawa. JSDF sent personnel to French New Caledonia for a multi-national exercise of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief hosted by France. In addition, taking the chance of sending ships to the Gulf of Aden, Japan conducted maritime exercises with the member nations of NATO. For example, in early March, the JS Harusame （DD-102） had a joint drill with a German destroyer at the Gulf of Aden, with the subject being mainly on helicopter take-off and landing and tactic training. In the middle of June, JS Ikazuchi （DD-107） and French naval ships conducted a joint exercise of anti-terrorist and communications, and in December, JS Suzunami （DD-114） held joint exercises with ships from the Turkish navy.
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