Japan's ground self-defense forces and the US marine corps held a joint exercise on Monday involving US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, Kyodo News Agency reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) Japan's ground self-defense forces and the US marine corps held a joint exercise on Monday involving US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, Kyodo news Agency reported.
According to the agency, the exercise, which was open to the media, took place at the Yausubetsu training range in the eastern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido with about 150 members of the ground self-defense forces stationed in Hokkaido and about 40 US marines from Okinawa taking part.
The exercise included a simulation of an enemy attack on Japan's remote islands with 24 rockets launched, the media said, adding that the drills are a part of maneuvers held by Japan and the United States to strengthen combat readiness and defense capabilities.
Tokyo and Washington have been conducting joint military drills since October 1 in the vicinity of the Japanese territory, including the Sea of Japan, amid recent missile launches by North Korea.
On October 4, North Korea launched a ballistic missile that flew over the northern Japanese prefecture of Aomori and landed outside its territorial waters. Since the beginning of 2022, Pyongyang conducted 24 missile launches.
North Korea has emphasized that its test launches are being carried out in response to the refusal of the US and its allies, namely Japan and South Korea, to stop joint military drills, which Pyongyang believes threaten regional stability.
