Japan Conducts First Military Exercise Focused on Islands Near Taiwan

Japan's Ground Component Command will conduct a training exercise from May 17 to 22 focused specifically on the Nansei Islands, a remote southwestern chain that stretches from Kyushu toward Taiwan, the Ministry of Defense announced April 24. The exercise marks the first time Japan's highest operational command will concentrate training efforts on these islands, which lie approximately 70 to 220 miles from Taiwan depending on location.

The operation involves roughly 300 Japanese soldiers from all regional armies and includes command-and-control drills with U.S. Marines stationed on Okinawa. Twenty Marines from the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment will participate in command post training in Miyakojima city from May 17 to 20, establishing what a Ground Staff spokesman described as the first U.S.-Japan coordination center on the island.

The exercise will primarily take place on three islands: Ishigaki, Yonaguni, and Miyakojima. Japan will deploy a Type-88 surface-to-ship guided missile launcher to Ishigaki and two ScanEagle II unmanned aerial vehicles to Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island. No U.S. military units will be positioned on these islands during the exercise.

A 3rd Marine Division spokesman emphasized the importance of the joint training. The exercise "strengthens 12th MLR and the JGSDF's interoperability, improving shared understanding, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of our combined partnership," said Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier. The Marines will operate communications and command-and-control equipment necessary to establish and operate a bilateral communication center.

The training will test Japan's ability to deploy troops and transport supplies across the region. Nine ports will be used to move supplies, including facilities in Miyakojima, Ishigaki, Yonaguni, and several ports in other parts of Japan. The materials transported will consist primarily of food and water, with no ammunition involved in the exercise, according to the Ground Staff spokesman.

The exercise reflects Japan's broader effort to strengthen military capabilities in the Nansei Islands as it responds to China's expanding military activity around Taiwan and the East China Sea. In 2023, the Ground Self-Defense Force opened a missile base on Ishigaki housing Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles and Type-03 air defense missiles. Japan has also announced plans to deploy upgraded versions of the Type-03 to Camp Yonaguni during fiscal 2030, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said in February.