Japan and U.S. to conduct drills under extreme conditions as typhoon nears

A military exercise involving Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and thousands of U.S. troops is being adapted so drills can continue throughout Typhoon Champi, making use of the severe weather to offer troops experience of operating under extreme conditions.

The bilateral exercise, known as Keen Sword 27, is currently taking place in southern Japan.

Announcing the plan late on Wednesday, Rear Adm. Jay Clark, commander of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt, stressed that while safety comes first, Typhoon Champi presented an opportunity to challenge both their military personnel and hardware.

“Challenging weather is a serious part of real-world combat and disaster relief operations,” Clark said as the supertyphoon approached Japan’s southwestern islands. “We will use the weather to stress and test our people and our systems.”

This iteration of Keen Sword 27 is the largest biannual exercise between Japan and the U.S. on record, with about 45,000 SDF members, 11,000 American troops and other partner nations participating.

As the drills continue across Okinawa Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture and surrounding waters and airspace, the U.S. military said it would monitor Typhoon Champi and reassess whether activities could be carried out safely on a daily basis.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the tropical cyclone was moving in from south of Okinawa on Thursday, traveling northwest at a speed of 15 kph.

This week’s training comes as Japanese authorities look to bolster the country’s southwestern island chain amid Chinese military pressure in the region.

The joint exercises also mark the first time that Japan has deployed their longer-range Type 25 surface-to-ship missiles outside the SDF base in Kumamoto Prefecture. It is understood that the Type 25 deployment will continue in spite of the typhoon.

Type 25 missile launchers have a range of about 1,000 kilometers and form a key part of what is known as the country’s “counterstrike capability,” which can both deter attacks and strike enemy bases in the event of a conflict.

Speaking about the deployment on Tuesday, Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Masayoshi Arai said training with the missile was an “urgent priority” for Japan as the country faces its “most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II.”

Arai also reassured the public that the SDF would prioritize safety during the training and provide relevant information for local communities.