UK sends jets to Japan for joint military drill

The UK has sent its fighter jets to Japan for a joint military drill with the East Asian country, a move that is likely to draw ire from China amid regional tensions.

Four Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft would arrive next week in Japan to partake in their first-ever joint exercise with the Japanese air self-defense force.

The war game begins next Friday at Misawa airbase in the country’s north-east and lasts until early November.

The aircraft took off from the RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and would be accompanied in the long journey by a tanker aircraft, two transport aircraft, and 170 RAF support personnel.

“Japan is our closest security partner in Asia and I want to significantly deepen defense cooperation between our two nations,” said UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon.

Tokyo welcomed the expansion of military ties with London and said the drill was in no way a warning to China.

“The purpose of this exercise is to enhance…

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