Japan-US warplane drill targeting China-Russia drill

By Zhang Ming'ai
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, July 9, 2013
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The Japanese government announced that Japanese Self-Defense Forces would hold a joint warplane drill with American forces over the Hokkaido waters from July 8-12.

 F-15 fighters [File photo]

 F-15 fighters [File photo]



The drill coincides with the timing of the China-Russia navy drill being held in the Sea of Japan July 5-12. The two drill sites are only about 300 kilometers apart.

Japanese media outlets have indicated that they believe the Japan-U.S. drill is intended to watch over China-Russia drill. As a Japanese defense official told, "We are confident that our drill with the American forces will show us the entire process of the China-Russia drills."

Japan and the U.S. each sent eight F-15 fighters and eight F-16 fighters to take part in the joint drill. The drill, called a "night course," will continue 24 hours a day for five days.

Media outlets have reported that Japan began sending early-warning aircrafts to conduct 24-hour surveillance of the Chinese-Russian drill July 4.

"The Japan-U.S. joint drill is apparently targeting China-Russia drill," Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo said Monday , during a CCTV program.

Japan and the U.S. had previously announced plans for a joint drill, but not the exact date of their drill, said Yin, a renowned military expert and director of the Advisory Committee for the application of information-related technologies under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). "They announced their drill only after China and Russia announced their drill time, site and procedure," said Yin.

Yin believes the Japan-U.S. site was chosen for its proximity to the Chinese-Russian drill. "With radars turned on and telecommunications equipment used, the drill offers Japan and the U.S. a perfect chance to collect China's electronic military information," he said.

Yin said he believed that the U.S. agreed to participate in the drill as a showing of its political and diplomatic support for Japan. He said that Japan intended to use the drill as a counter to the Chinese-Russian drill and as a showing of its importance to America's Asian-Pacific strategy.

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