Participation in the "Keen Sword 27" Japan-U.S. Bilateral Joint Exercise for FY2026.

The Self Defense Fleet is participating in Keen Sword 27, which kicked off on Oct. 19. Japan-U.S. Bilateral Joint Exercise Keen Sword is designed to maintain and enhance Japan-U.S. interoperability while training and testing bilateral readiness and the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ joint operational capabilities.

Japan-U.S. Joint Exercise, which originated in 1985, alternates between field training exercises, Keen Sword, and command post exercises, Keen Edge. This year marks the 18th iteration of the bilateral field training exercise. The exercise series provide participating forces with opportunities to train how to respond to security challenges together and enhance combat readiness under realistic scenarios.

The Self Defense Fleet works to maintain readiness to contribute to peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, not only for the defense of Japan but also for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” in cooperation with allied and like-minded navies.

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