Japan practises shooting down drones in live-fire drills in US

Days after Sanae Takaichi, a China hawk, took over as the Prime Minister of Japan, Japanese army has begun live-fire drills to intercept drones for the first time.

The Japanese army began ‘Rising Thunder’ joint exercise with the US Army at Yakima Training Center in the American state of Washington on October 27, according to Nikkei Asia newspaper.

The exercise, which will conclude on November 12, include around 440 Japanese soldiers and 500 US Army personnel.

The drills are being hailed as a new milestone in the Japanese response to the threat from uncrewed aircraft.

In her tenure, Takaichi is expected to prioritise military preparedness considering Chinese aggressive behaviour in the region. Moreover, drones have been central to modern warfare, particularly since Russia launched the full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022.

Japan trains on US equipment

At a time when there is uncertainty about US participation in collective defence or mutual defence treaties, the continuing military exercise could also serve as a confidence building measures between the two countries.

Such drills are not possible in Japan because of lack of space.

The Nikkei reported that Japanese soldiers are using portable equipment to shoot down airborne practice drones provided by the US Army.

What exactly they were using to shoot down drones was not told.

In addition to projectiles, drones could also be shot down by high-power lasers and microwaves.

Lasers have lower operating costs than artillery systems and do not run out of ammunition. The only requirement is continued access to a power source. On the other hand, high-power microwaves can take down drones by destroying circuits without actually needing to target drones with pinpoint accuracy as they target the general area the drone, not the drone itself.