Japan, the United States, and South Korea recently joined forces for a major three-day joint military exercise known as Freedom Edge, which wrapped up convincingly on Friday. This maneuver, aimed at showcasing their collaborative military prowess, allowed media outlets including The Yomiuri Shimbun to witness significant segments of the training on the fourth day. The focus on multi-domain tactics marks this exercise as particularly noteworthy; this was the second round of Freedom Edge, following the successful completion of its first iteration back last June after the trilateral leaders' summit held during August 2023.
Freedom Edge unfolded across multiple arenas, including maritime, aerial, and cyber defense. The exercises were hosted mainly near the East China Sea, south of South Korea's Jeju Island. Notably, powerful assets participated, such as the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, Aegis-equipped vessels from Japan and South Korea, and advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets from both the U.S. and South Korea. Amidst the flurry of activity, the roar of American F-35Cs could be heard taking off and landing from USS George Washington, adding both excitement and intensity to the event.
The week of exercises was built around simulating various complex threats. This included scenarios dealing with ballistic missiles, cyberattacks, enemy fighter jets, and submarines, as the trio of nations prioritized confirming joint procedures to effectively respond to such diverse security challenges. The overarching aim? To bolster their deterrence and response capabilities within the backdrop of rising tensions simmering across East Asia.
These combined drills come at a time when Japan, the U.S., and South Korea are particularly aware of the shifting security environment characterized by growing assertiveness from China's military and North Korea's advances in nuclear and missile development technologies. Joint military exercises like Freedom Edge are part of broader strategic efforts to not only improve interoperability among their military forces but also institutionalize cooperation, ensuring these collaborations persist beyond individual leaders’ tenures, as noted by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.
Emanuel, observing the exercise aboard the USS George Washington, emphasized the exercise’s importance: "Freedom Edge has already become institutionalized and aligns with the strategic objectives of all three nations rather than fluctuatings based on individual leadership whims." This sentiment echoes President Joe Biden's targeted push for enhanced trilateral ties aimed at countering shared threats.
Japan's Defense Ministry highlighted several capabilities enhanced or tested during these joint training episodes. For example, they worked on refining protocols to effectively handle cyberattacks, bolster air defenses, and respond to ballistic missile threats. The participants showcased advanced technological integrations, with E-767 airborne warning and control aircraft, Aegis-equipped vessels, and F-35 fighter jets collaborating seamlessly to place real-time information sharing at the forefront.
Addressing these security concerns was not detached from the current state of affairs. Recently, incidents have arisen, including the intrusion of Chinese military aircraft violating Japanese airspace for the first time. This only raises the stakes, as China has been enhancing its military reach, equipped with anti-ship ballistic missiles dubbed "aircraft carrier killers." Meanwhile, North Korea’s military ties with Russia continue to solidify; after recently launching intercontinental ballistic missiles reaching unprecedented altitudes, such threats remain at the forefront of Japan, the U.S., and South Korea’s defense discussions.
The groundwork for these military collaborations was laid out during the August summit when the leaders committed to conducting Freedom Edge as part of their multi-national strategies against growing threats. Earlier this year, they established mechanisms enabling the immediate sharing of information about North Korean missile launches, marking significant strides toward enhanced mutual defense frameworks.
According to defense officials, the steadily enhancing coordination among the three participating nations is fueling the normalization of frontline cooperation, with hopes this will lead to consistency and durability of future exercises. Regardless of fluctuatings on the political front, the shared objectives for ensuring stability and security in East Asia are set to persist. "These joint exercises are steadily improving coordination among the three nations," expressed one senior Defense Ministry official, reinforcing faith in normalizing frontline ties.
