11:10 JST, August 15, 2022
BERLIN (Jiji Press) — The German Air Force will send military aircraft to Indo-Pacific countries including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Singapore for the first time from Monday for joint drills and other activities.
Germany hopes to deepen military ties with Asian democracies while stepping up efforts to check China’s hegemonic ambitions.
Now that war of aggression has returned to Europe, Germany is also watching with concern the axis of confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region, Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, chief of the German Air Force, said in a written interview, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in mind.
Through the dispatch of the aircraft, including six Eurofighter jets, Germany aims to show that it is thinking about security beyond Europe, Gerhartz said, expressing eagerness to increase his country’s involvement in Asia including Japan.
Last year, the German Navy sent a frigate to the Indo-Pacific region including waters near Japan. The vessel participated in monitoring activities to stop North Korea’s illegal ship-to-ship cargo transfers.
The aircraft dispatch is among the largest dispatch projects for the German Air Force since the end of World War II, according to Gerhartz. But Berlin is not sending a threatening signal to China, he added. The aircraft to be dispatched also include four A400M transport planes and three A330 MRTT refueling aircraft.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japan to Offer U.S. Proposals for Cooperation on Rare Earths, Semiconductors; Potential Measures Could Help Counter China, Correct Trade Deficit
-
Japan Govt to Create Guidelines for Data Leak Prevention at Research Institutes; AI R&D, Risk Management to Be Balanced
-
Japan Coast Guard Begins Employment Scheme for Retiring MSDF Personnel; Aims for 15 Recruits in FY25
-
U.S. Senator and Ex-Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty: Economic Security, National Security Are Tied
-
Eto Dismissed as Japan’s Agricultural Minister; Chosen Successor Koizumi Vows to Tackle High Rice Prices (UPDATE 2)
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
Toyoda to Become Automobile Business Association of Japan Chairman; to Help Guide U.S. Tariff-Affected Industriessns
-
Advance Payments for 2025 Rice Foretell Rising Prices; Big Buyers Moving Early; Farmers Spurred to Grow More
-
Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April
-
Japanese Researchers Develop ‘Transparent Paper’ as Alternative to Plastics; New Material Is Biodegradable, Can Be Produced with Low Carbon Emissions
-
Japan to Introduce Car Fuel with Up to 10% Biofuels from Fiscal 2028; Limited Rollout Expected at Areas with Refineries