US-Japan military drills raise concern

Exercise destabilizing regional security and heightening tensions, experts say

Japan and the United States have launched a large-scale joint military exercise, raising concerns of destabilizing regional security and further heightening tensions between Japan and its neighboring countries.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the United States Marine Corps launched the Resolute Dragon exercise on Saturday, taking place across the southwestern Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture and lasting over a week, according to Japan's Nikkei Asia.

The GSDF plans to deploy its US-made V-22 Osprey military transport aircraft from Camp Saga, Kyushu, to Miyako Island in Okinawa for the first time. The drill will include transporting simulated casualties from the island to the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa.