Within the context of the Rising Thunder 25 exercise, units from the U.S. Army and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces have trained in counter-drone warfare, in maneuvers that involved the use of live fire to carry out shootdowns. According to information released by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, these activities took place between October 27 and yesterday, at the Yakima Training Area located on U.S. soil, known for its vast expanse of terrain.
Citing some of the official statements from the Japanese Ministry of Defense: “Through this exercise, we conducted bilateral training on operational and combat activities under various threats, such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), as well as logistical support activities integrated into these operations. We improved tactical skills and operational capabilities, adapting them to the current operational environment.”
Expanding on some of the reported details, the U.S. Army deployed 500 personnel in the exercise, while Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces sent a contingent of 440 soldiers. Moreover, it has been revealed that this exercise represents the first time that troops deployed by Tokyo have had the opportunity to participate in live-fire detection and shootdown maneuvers against unmanned systems—something that, due to the geographic characteristics of their home country, is typically difficult to carry out. In the words of General Arai Masayoshi, Chief of Staff of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces: “(Editor’s note: Carrying out such an exercise) would be difficult to execute in full.”
Furthermore, as can be seen in the images published by the aforementioned Japanese defense ministry, the use of portable devices supplied by U.S. forces for shooting down drones while in flight was observed. In addition, local reports indicate that electromagnetic wave systems capable of damaging the internal circuits of unmanned systems were also employed.
It is important to recall, in this regard, that Tokyo had already indicated in 2022 its intention to advance in the purchase and implementation of this type of solution to strengthen its counter-drone defense network—allowing for the shootdown of drones at a lower cost and with fewer collateral effects than would be the case using missiles. Along these lines, it is worth remembering that Japan’s Defense Acquisition Agency unveiled, toward the end of last year, its new laser-based air defense system mounted on an eight-wheeled ground vehicle, capable of generating up to 10 kW of power thanks to its Denyo DCA-125LSIE generator to neutralize potential threats.
*Image credits: Japan Ministry of Defense
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