Yama Sakura Drills With U.S. Wrap Up

The U.S. and Japanese militaries have just concluded a major joint exercise, reports U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The annual Yama Sakura drills kicked off on Nov. 28 and ended on Tuesday. It was the largest and most complex joint command-post exercise between Japan and the U.S. to date, the command said.

The training focused on enhancing interoperability, force lethality and multidomain warfare through staff activities, realistic scenario simulation and hypothetical future combat situations.

The participants included elements of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, U.S. 7th Fleet, 5th Air Force, 1st Corps, 11th Airborne Division, 3rd Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division.

Representatives of the Philippine and Australian militaries observed the drills.