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The UK and Japan have called off their first military exercises in three years as commanders warned of “sharp instability” in the security environment due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increasingly assertive China.
The nine-day training operation to strengthen island defenses, dubbed “Vigilante Islands 22”, is the latest sign of deepening defense ties between the two US allies in the Indo-Pacific.
The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and the British Army practiced retaking an island captured by enemy forces during exercises at a military camp at Gunma in central Japan, and practiced air-to-ground ranges at Omori in the north.
While Japanese and UK officials have said the drills do not target any specific country or island, the training comes amid heightened tensions over Taiwan, particularly after China staged a large-scale military exercise to protest US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August. .
The Pentagon said in a report on Tuesday that China had conducted increasingly frequent “island-seizure” drills in 2021 ahead of the visit.
After Wednesday’s closing ceremony, Lt. Gen. Tadao Maeda, the commanding general, stressed that “multinational defense cooperation” is necessary to address tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and the unpredictability caused by the war in Ukraine.
“We know that the current world situation is at a whole new level of uncertainty and increasing complexity,” he said.
Citing North Korea’s nuclear program and attempts by some countries in the region to change the status quo by force – a phrase Japan often uses to refer to China – Maeda added: “This is leading to severe instability around the world.”
Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddis, Commander Field Army, said “exercises like these contribute to our joint efforts to see a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
Closer ties between UK and Japan British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned that the “golden age” of UK relations with China is over.
The UK and Japan are also working on a deal with Italy to develop next-generation fighter jets, which if closed would mark the first time Tokyo has chosen non-US partners for such an important military programme.
In December, the two countries are expected to sign a defense agreement known as the Reciprocal Access Agreement to facilitate joint exercises and logistical cooperation between the nations.
The SDF has also strengthened military exercises with other European countries, with the Japanese and German air forces conducting their first joint exercise in Japan in September.
This week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered his cabinet to find funds to raise Japan’s defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2027, setting a numerical target for the first time.
The country plans to increase its defense budget by about 11 percent to more than ¥6tn ($43bn) for the year to March 2024. It is also considering developing counter-strike capabilities against enemy bases and wants indigenously manufactured cruise missiles with a range. which can attack targets in China.
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