By DAIJIRO HONDA/ Staff Writer
January 9, 2023 at 17:02 JST
Paratroopers from Australia and Britain joined drop training exercises involving Japan and the United States for the first time to simulate rushing to the aid of a remote island under enemy attack.
The Jan. 8 drill was held at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Narashino exercise area in Chiba Prefecture, where the GSDF’s First Airborne Brigade holds its new year training each January.
The United States joined the training in 2017 for the first time.
The exercise is aimed promoting solidarity and trust among members of the airborne task forces.
Commanding officers of each task force were the first to parachute drop. GSDF members then tumbled out in quick succession to consolidate their position.
They were followed by heliborne transported vehicles, troops, amphibious and mobile combat vehicles.
Finally, airborne task forces’ members of the United States and Britain parachute-dropped.
About 1,000 SDF members took part in the drill. Foreign participants numbered about 100.
Commanding officers of four airborne task forces met Jan. 6 at the SDF’s Narashino post to discuss the operation as well as tactics.
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Paratroops units of Japan, the United States, Britain and Australia conduct parachute drop training at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Narashino exercise area in Chiba Prefecture on Jan. 8. (Daijiro Honda)
