Japan and the US deployed missile systems to Japanese islands near Taiwan as Keen Sword 27 began on Monday, 19 October, bringing together around 45,000 Japanese troops and 11,000 American personnel.
Japan has reinforced its southwestern region with longer-range missiles and interceptors in recent years. Tokyo regards China's expanding military activity around the country as a threat and has raised particular concern over increasing activity near remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.
