MANILA: Japanese ground forces are set to actively participate in military exercises in the Philippines for the first time in post-World War II history next month, marking the deepening of ties between Manila and Tokyo’s armed services as both countries face strained relations with China.
About 300 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel will participate in the annual joint Salaknib army drills with the Philippines and the US military that are scheduled for April, according to Philippine Army spokesperson Louie Dema-ala.
"This is the first time that they will join the exercises,” Dema-ala said in a mobile message on Wednesday, adding that Australia will also join the exercises.
Japan has usually taken part in joint US-Philippine military exercises in the past as observers or to provide backup support. But this will be the first time in post-war history that Japan will fully participate in a joint exercise that involves on-the-ground combat.
"After 1945, for the very first time, we will have again Japanese combat troops on Philippine soil,” Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. said during a forum this week. "That is very significant because back then we found ourselves on the opposite sides of the war. But this time, we find ourselves on the same side.”
The moves by the Philippines and Japan - US allies part of the first island chain that forms a strategic barrier blocking access to the wider Pacific Ocean - to tighten their military ties also come as both nations contend with maritime disputes with Beijing over the East and South China Seas.
But this time, their direct participation in war games, which previously riled up Beijing, comes after the two nations’ reciprocal access agreement entered into force last year. The pact is intended to facilitate mutual military visits.
Brawner said an unspecified number of Japanese soldiers are also expected to take part for the first time in the much larger Balikatan exercises, the flagship Philippines-US military drills, which are scheduled for the second half of April.
Brawner said he couldn’t provide specifics about the number of Japanese troops involved, but added that it was likely to be more than have participated in prior years. About 150 Japanese personnel took part in 2025.
A spokesperson for the Japanese Defense Ministry declined to comment on the reports, saying: "we will refrain from providing a response as adjustments are currently being made.”
Japanese forces have been observers in past drills that featured war-fighting, logistics and artillery live-fire exercises. They have also been in the Philippines for humanitarian and disaster relief trainings.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force last month dispatched a unit for naval exercises together with its Philippine and US counterparts in the South China Sea. - Bloomberg
