Japan will deploy its Type 25 long-range anti-ship missiles outside their Kumamoto base for the first time during Keen Sword 27 joint exercises with the United States, which run from October 21 to 29, 2026.

The drills will be the largest ever, involving about 45,000 Self-Defense Force personnel and 12,000 U.S. service members.

Keen Sword 27 is the largest bilateral exercise between the two allies and is the first since Japan established its Joint Operations Command in March 2025.

Protests align with a broader political context, including a Chinese condemnation of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ritual offering at Yasukuni Shrine, and criticism that the drills destabilize the region and provoke China.

Local objections include fears that extended runway development could turn Tsuiki into a major launch site, plus concerns in Miyakojima about Osprey flights, potential crime, and electromagnetic emissions from the exercises.

Analysts note a long history of US-Japan military collaboration, but current drills and public backlash are highlighting public anger and concern over national interests and diplomacy in the region.

Experts warn that emphasizing the Type-25’s strike capability against parts of China’s coast could heighten regional instability, with critics citing NATO involvement as increasing risk.

The exercises are described as a dress rehearsal for defending Japan’s southwestern island chain amid regional security tensions.

Opposition to Keen Sword 27 is widespread in Japanese communities, including calls to cancel the drills and concerns about safety at bases like Tsuiki and Kitakyushu Airport, as well as potential health effects and accidents involving U.S. personnel.

US movements precede the drills, with ships such as the USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Chosin, and USS Decatur arriving at Yokosuka amid tensions following an Okinawa-based Marine’s arrest in Japan.

Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura said Keen Sword aims to strengthen allied responses to gray-zone situations with coordinated space, cyber, and electromagnetic operations, while stressing the drills are not targeted at any specific country.

Japan will temporarily deploy Type 88 anti-ship missiles and Type 03 medium-range air defense systems to Yonaguni, with Type 88 units also stationed on Ishigaki Island alongside existing Type 03 and Type 12 systems.