IRIA News

U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) are conducting bilateral field training exercises as part of Resolute Dragon 23. About 3,300 U.S. Marines and Sailors are taking part in the drills that began on October 14 and will continue till October 31, 2023.

This is the third iteration of the bilateral exercise Resolute Dragon 23. The U.S. and Japanese forces are conducting exercises in multiple locations across Japan. The exercise will involve field training drills, rehearsing tasks as a Joint Force Littoral Component Command, and strengthening their combined joint response to threats.

The U.S. Marine Corps statement highlighted that the United States and Japanese units are rehearsing and strengthening their “command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities as part of a stand-in force”.

U.S. Armed Forces 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, and the U.S. Air Force’s 353 Special Operations Wing are participating in the exercise with JGSDF as well as external enablers including Air and Maritime Self-Defense Forces.

According to the U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Adam Chalkley, the 3rd Marine Logistics Group commanding general, “This training will continue to build upon and emphasize linkages between the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s cross domain operations and Marine Corps concepts like expeditionary advanced base operations and support to all-domain fleet and joint operations.”

U.S. Marine works alongside @Japan_GSDF member in a bilateral coordination center during #ResoluteDragon23 on Camp Ishigaki, Okinawa 🇯🇵. #RD23 is an annual bilateral exercise that strengthens the command, control, & multi-domain maneuver capabilities of Marines & JSDF personnel. pic.twitter.com/suiG9ZnOzP

— U.S. Forces Japan (@USForcesJapan) October 17, 2023

Brig. Gen. Chalkley added that the exercise will also “showcase our partnership’s ability to deter and counter threats by deploying and dispersing throughout the first island chain, and to be postured to fight from anywhere.”

During the Resolute Dragon 23 exercise, the U.S. and Japanese forces will conduct bilateral live-fire drills using Marine Corps M142 high mobility artillery rocket launchers and JGSDF M270 multiple launch rocket systems.

The Marine Corps statement added that “The Marines will rehearse rapid infiltration with the HIMARS into the Yausubestu Maneuver Area via Kenebestu Airfield. This rehearsal enhances the lethality of the partnered forces and train for rapid response to crises as a singular, unified force.”

The U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 and JGSDF Western Army 8th Division Engineers will also practice airfield damage repair training with the aim to strengthen integration between the Navy and JGSDF Western Army and share best practices.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tina Terry, the III Marine Expeditionary Force Japan operations branch desk officer said, “For the first time, we will conduct bilateral training at Camp Ishigaki, which opened this past spring, as part of the field training exercise portion of Resolute Dragon 23 with our JGSDF counterparts.”

“Bilateral training at Camp Ishigaki will include a bilateral coordination center which will coordinate a variety of operations and include integration of members from the U.S. Army’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, radar operations, a medical facility, which will support casualty evacuation training between the JGSDF and III MEF, and a subject matter expert exchange for forward air refueling point training,” Lt. Col. Tina Terry added.

Resolute Dragon is an annual bilateral exercise between the defense forces of the U.S. and Japan that strengthens the command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities of the American Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan’s JSDF personnel.

In recent months, the U.S. Department of Defense has been increasing bilateral exercises and training with Indo-Pacific allies and partners, including joint exercises with Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.