Yokota supports first JGSDF-hosted multinational airborne exercise
Photo By Yasuo Osakabe |
A U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to the 11th Airborne Brigade conducts a drop zone......read moreread more
Photo By Yasuo Osakabe | A U.S. Army paratrooper assigned to the 11th Airborne Brigade conducts a drop zone survey during a multinational airborne exercise at Ojojihara training area, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Jan. 17, 2026. The exercise marked the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force-hosted multinational airborne operation conducted on Japanese soil. The training brought together airborne forces from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom to enhance trilateral interoperability and airborne insertion capabilities in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe) see less
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Yokota supports first JGSDF-hosted multinational airborne exercise
U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron supported a multinational airborne operation Jan. 17 at Ojojihara Training Area, Miyagi Prefecture, marking the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force-hosted multinational airborne exercise conducted on Japanese soil.
The operation built on the momentum of New Year Jump Indo-Pacific 2026 (NYJIP26), which included participation from 14 nations, and served as the tactical phase of a broader training series designed to enhance airborne operational capability and interoperability among allied forces. While NYJIP26 at the JGSDF’s Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture earlier this month was conducted as a ceremonial and public demonstration, training at Ojojihara emphasized combat readiness and operational execution.
Operating from Yokota Air Base, four USAF C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th AS delivered approximately 130 paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division to the drop zone in Miyagi Prefecture. The airborne insertion was conducted in coordination with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which employed one Kawasaki C-2 assigned to the 2nd Tactical Airlift Group and two C-130H Hercules assigned to the 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron to transport paratroopers from the JGSDF 1st Airborne Brigade.
The multinational force executed a combined airborne insertion followed by ground combat operations, requiring paratroopers to rapidly transition from aerial insertion to ground maneuver. Upon landing, participating units conducted reconnaissance and consolidation actions to validate command-and-control procedures and combined maneuver capabilities.
“The transition from the New Year Jump at Narashino to a full-scale tactical drop at Ojojihara is where training translates into operational capability,” said U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Kael Jordan, 11th Airborne Division platoon sergeant. “The rehearsals and coordination we conducted beforehand allowed us to execute safely and effectively alongside our Japanese and British partners.”
Prior to the Ojojihara operation, participating forces conducted preparatory training at Narashino Training Area, focusing on procedural alignment, joint briefings and coordination drills.
The exercise brought together airborne forces from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom to strengthen trilateral interoperability and reinforce combined airborne capabilities.
The training is part of a series of linked exercises designed to enhance regional readiness and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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