Japan-US launch record 57,000-troop island defense drills near Taiwan

Japan and the US have begun their largest-ever joint exercise with 57,000 personnel, focused on island defense in the southwest chain near Taiwan, including missile deployments. The USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Yokosuka for maintenance before joining, signaling sustained carrier presence. The scale and explicit Taiwan-oriented scenario mark a significant escalation in deterrence posture amid Beijing's objections.