The Roosevelt leads the warships of five countries in participating in Sword 27! China’s “Twin-tailed Scorpion” flies over Taiwan-Japan waters

The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group sailed together with Japanese, Australian, Canadian and French warships in the Philippine Sea on October 21 to participate in the "Sword 27" exercise.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group sailed together with Japanese, Australian, Canadian and French warships in the Philippine Sea on the 21st to participate in the US-Japanese joint military exercise "Sword 27". Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also announced the flight dynamics of Chinese military aircraft and drones around Japan's southwest airspace on the 19th. One of the TB-001 "Scorpion" reconnaissance and attack drones entered the Philippine Sea between Taiwan and Japan's Yonaguni Island, and flew as far as the sea off Amami Oshima.

USNI News reported on the 22nd that the ships participating in the exercise include the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the cruiser USS Chosin, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter frigate JS Ise, the destroyer JS Kongo, the destroyer JS Asahi, and the Australian Navy HMAS Stewart. Stuart, the Canadian Navy's HMCS Regina and a French frigate.

Images released by Japan's Integrated Staff Supervision Department show that China's TB-001 "Twin-tailed Scorpion" reconnaissance and attack drone flew over the waters between Taiwan and Japan's Yonaguni Island on October 19, and entered the Philippine Sea.

U.S. and Japan conduct drills to transport mobile weapons to southwestern islands

In terms of land training, the US 12th Marine Coastal Regiment and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Western Front conducted expeditionary base operations. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force dispatched C-2 and C-130 transport aircraft to transport the US Navy/Marine Expeditionary Fleet Interdiction System (NMESIS), MADIS mobile air defense and anti-drone system and TPS-80 radar to the Sakishima Islands. The exercise included the use of Japanese transport aircraft to deploy U.S. mobile anti-ship and air defense equipment near important sea lanes to practice the ability to rapidly project troops and defend remote islands.

In terms of air combat training, U.S. and Japanese troops conducted air defense drills combining virtual simulations with actual flights. The U.S. military's F-35 virtual simulator participated in the training together with Japan's actual F-35 fighter jets and E-2 airborne early warning aircraft. The simulator coordinated with the actual aircraft through relevant training structures.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that on the 19th, a Chinese TB-001 "Scorpion" reconnaissance and attack drone flew from the East China Sea, passed between Taiwan and Japan's Yonaguni Island, entered the Philippine Sea, flew as far as the sea off Amami Oshima, and then flew back to the East China Sea via Okinawa Main Island and Miyako Island. Another BZK-005 drone and a Y-9 intelligence collection aircraft flew into the Philippine Sea between Okinawa main island and Miyako Island, and then returned via a similar route.

When asked whether Chinese military aircraft and drones were intended to monitor the Lijian-27 exercise, Koizumi said that China's intentions are not yet clear and assumptions should not be made in advance.

The Sharp Sword 27 exercise was held from October 19 to 29, with the participation of approximately 45,000 Japanese Self-Defense Force personnel, 11,000 US military personnel and multiple partner countries.