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By Zachary Keck
Japan’s Defense Ministry has announced that 34,000 troops from the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will practice island storming drills starting next month.
According to The Yomiuri Shimbun, from November 1 to November 18, troops from the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces will perform an island landing drill on Okinawa Prefecture. An AFP report said that destroyers and F-2 fighter jets would simultaneously conduct live fire drills.
The Yomiuri Shimbun report, which cited a statement from Japan’s Defense Ministry, said the purpose of the drill was to enhance the SDF’s ability to protect disputed islands in the East China Sea from Chinese intrusions. However, Okinawa Prefecture is far away from the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, which are at the heart of the ongoing dispute between China and Japan.
Read the full story at The Diplomat