The Japanese naval forces will join the RIMPAC international maritime drills scheduled for August off the coast of the US state of Hawaii, Defense Minister Taro Kono said on Friday
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) The Japanese naval forces will join the RIMPAC international maritime drills scheduled for August off the coast of the US state of Hawaii, Defense Minister Taro Kono said on Friday.
In late April, the US Navy said that the drills would go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, the drills will be modified in 2020, as all land activities have been canceled.
"Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force will participate in RIMPAC. With regard to preventing the spread of the virus, I believe that it is difficult to create conditions to avoid human contact, but in the case of the exercises of warships, I believe that such risk is low," Kono said, as quoted by the NHK broadcaster.
The minister added that these drills are important for Tokyo-Washington cooperation and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
RIMPAC is scheduled for August 17-31 and 25 countries are invited to participate. Apart from the United States and Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and South Korea regularly join the exercises in Hawaii.
