U.S., Japan conduct joint nuclear, chemical weapons drills

NAGASAKI, Japan, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- United States and Japanese military forces continued their ongoing military exercises with a nuclear and chemical weapons drill and the addition of the USS Germantown, a dock landing ship.

U.S. forces and Japan's Nuclear Biological Chemical Weapons Defense Unit participated in the joint land drill early last week. About the same time, the USS Germantown joined the amphibious exercises to practice techniques and tactics, military leaders said.

The exercises, which will run through Wednesday, are the latest in a series of joint drills involving the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) since 1986. Drills during the 12-day exercise including land and sea operations with about 10,000 U.S. forces and 30,700 Japanese troops.

The drills come as Japan and China are engaged in a bitter dispute over three East China Sea islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Military leaders said the drills are not targeted at any one country or dispute. They said the continuing goal is to strengthen ties between the United States and Japan.