Yama Sakura Drills Focus On Defensive Maneuvers

U.S. and Japanese forces have kicked off their annual Yama Sakura exercise at Camp Kengun in southwestern Japan, reports the Stars and Stripes.

The command-post exercise is designed to test the ability of U.S. and Japanese ground forces to coordinate communications, intelligence-sharing and troop movements in a computer-simulated environment.

Japan is planning to concentrate more troops and military assets in the southwest to prepare for potential North Korean provocations...