The annual Yama Sakura exercise, which began Dec. 4, involved 1,200 American and 4,500 Japanese troops at locations all over Japan and at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
The Air Force move to replace F-15 Eagle fighters with rotating units of more advanced fighters signals awareness that Okinawan bases won’t survive a conflict with China, according to a former Marine fighter pilot and diplomat.
Chinese threat to Japan and Okinawa bases behind F-15 phaseout, expert says stripes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stripes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
With the Chinese Communist Party s 20th National Congress now finished, President Xi Jinping is closer than ever to becoming a leader on a par with founding father Mao Zedong.