Japan To Participate In Joint UK-US Military Exercises For 1st Time - JMSDF

Japan will participate in joint military exercises with the United States and the United Kingdom in the Pacific Ocean, south of Honshu island, for the first time in its history, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) said in a statement Wednesday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) Japan will participate in joint military exercises with the United States and the United Kingdom in the Pacific Ocean, south of Honshu island, for the first time in its history, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) said in a statement Wednesday.

Japan will send its Izumo helicopter carrier, which the country plans to convert into an aircraft carrier under new military guidelines, as well as P-1 maritime patrol aircraft; the United States its Boeing P-8 Poseidon multimission maritime patrol reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft, and military ships; and the United Kingdom its HMS Argyll frigate.

According to the statement, the purpose of the exercises is to master the tactical qualification of the JMSDF, as well as to strengthen military cooperation between the three countries.

According to the Japanese NHK broadcaster, the military exercises are organized as a response to China's expansion into the Pacific Ocean.