Japan Joins 3 European Nations in Landmark Air Defense Drills

Joint air force exercise in Japan by Germany, France, and Spain aimed to maintain stability in Asia-Pacific.

A French Air and Space Force A400M transport aircraft flies over the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park, near the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Iruma Air Base in Saitama prefecture on July 28, 2023. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images

In a significant display of international military cooperation, the air forces of Germany, France, and Spain successfully concluded joint exercises with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

The three European air forces are participating in Nippon Skies, one of the five-part Pacific Skies 2024 deployment exercises across multiple continents. They landed in Japan after training with the U.S. military in the state of Alaska, reports Nikkei.