In first, Japan to send ‘combat’ troops to major military drills in Philippines

Marines fire Javelin missiles simultaneously during a counterlanding live-fire exercise as part of last year's Balikatan military drills in Aparri, the Philippines, in May last year
By Gabriel Dominguez
STAFF WRITER
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For the first time since the end of World War II, Japanese combat-capable troops will return to the Philippines — not as occupiers, but as close partners.At least several hundred Self-Defense Forces (SDF) troops are expected to put boots on the ground, joining Philippine, U.S
and Australian troops in what is set to be the largest iteration yet of the annual Balikatan military exercises, setting a new milestone in regional security cooperation.It's unclear exactly how many troops Japan is expected to send, but Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen
said earlier this month that around 1,000 could be deployed
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo declined to comment on the number.

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