Training that seems to be an "actual operation" in the waters near the US military Senkaku Islands

In February, in the waters near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, where navigation by Chinese authorities is becoming a norm, it is believed that the U.S. military planned training to drop soldiers from transport aircraft and dropped supplies into the sea. I learned from an interview with Japanese defense personnel.

It is extremely unusual for the U.S. military to conduct training that appears to be an actual operation in the waters near the Senkaku Islands, and it is perceived as a move to strengthen its involvement in the region as the conflict between the United States and China deepens. ..

According to Japanese defense officials, it is believed that on February 17, a US military transport plane flew over the Senkaku Islands and dropped some supplies into the sea on the way.

Immediately before that, the U.S. military notified the Self-Defense Forces that they were planning to train soldiers to drop them from the transport plane, so although they did not actually drop them, they dropped supplies as part of the training. It is believed that it was done.

Also, although the relationship with the training is unknown, on this day, a Chinese fighter approached the sky above the Senkaku Islands, an Air Self-Defense Force fighter was scrambled = an emergency start, and a Chinese Navy ship in the vicinity Also showed a move to approach the Senkaku Islands.

It is extremely unusual for the U.S. military to conduct training that appears to be an actual operation in the waters near the Senkaku Islands, and the U.S. military is involved in the region as the conflict between the U.S. and China deepens among Japanese defense officials. It is perceived as a move to strengthen.

As the China Coast Guard ships invade the territory and navigate in the continental zone off the coast of the Senkaku Islands, the Japanese side is closely watching the trends of the US and Chinese forces in this area.

There is also a view that the U.S. military has shown an attitude of being involved in the Senkaku Islands.

Maki Yamashita, a former chief of staff who served as the commander of the Self-Defense Fleet of the Maritime Self-Defense Force and has commanded alerts and surveillance around the Senkaku Islands, said, "At this Japan-US summit meeting, the Japan-US Security Treaty to the Senkaku Islands The application has been reconfirmed, but it may be possible to say that the US military has shown an attitude of being involved in the Senkaku Islands. "

He added, "It is very important that when the U.S. military goes further in the East China Sea in the future, it is very important to prevent major changes due to unexpected things or misunderstandings." It points out that Japan needs to communicate closely with the United States to prevent it.