Germany and Japan conducted their first joint military drills Wednesday as Berlin forecast a continuous security commitment in the volatile region.
UPI reports three F-2 fighter jets from Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force and three German Eurofighter jets trained together to improve communication and tactical skills.
The drills, which last until Friday, took place at the Hyakuri Air Base near Tokyo.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told the Japan Times that Berlin sees a future role to play in an area roiled by China’s growing geopolitical ambitions.
“The military buildup in the region is picking up speed, geopolitical tensions are exacerbating territorial conflicts and the risk of escalation is increasing,” she said.
Japan Air Self Defense Force Mitsubishi F-2 (L) and three German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons above Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki-Prefecture, Japan on Wednesday. This is part of the German Air Force’s large-scale exercise “Rapid Pacific 2022” to the Asian region. (Keizo Mori/UPI)
A Luftwaffe Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon taxis towards the runway with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II aircraft following during Exercise Pitch Black 2022. (CPL Kylie Gibson/RAAF)
“We are aware that Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security are connected. That is why we want to help maintain peace and stability in this important region.”
The Japan Times also reported some critics have argued that developments in China and North Korea pose little or no direct security threat to Germany.
However, Lambrecht said given the Indo-Pacific region’s economic and geopolitical importance to both Germany and the whole of Europe, “any conflict there would affect Germany massively, in multiple ways.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February pledged a dramatic hike in spending on the military after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and last year’s mass evacuations from Afghanistan.
Berlin, which has been frugal on military spending in the second half of the 20th century, pledged to hike defense spending above two percent of its total GDP as part of the expansion.
The Luftwaffe presence for exercises in Japan is not the first for Germany in the region.
As Breitbart News reported, the German Air Force took part in military exercises in Australia earlier this month.