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. Romeo Brawner Jr. 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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