Overview
- On Jan. 17 at the Ojojihara Training Area in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan conducted its first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force–hosted multinational airborne exercise on Japanese soil.
- Four U.S. Air Force C-130J aircraft from the 36th Airlift Squadron delivered about 130 paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division from Yokota Air Base.
- The Japan Air Self-Defense Force used one Kawasaki C-2 and two C-130H aircraft to transport JGSDF 1st Airborne Brigade paratroopers in the coordinated insertion.
- The event served as the tactical phase following the New Year Jump Indo-Pacific 2026 ceremonial display at Narashino, with ground maneuver and command-and-control validation immediately after landing.
- Aircrews executed the drop under low cloud ceilings using automated airdrop aids to maintain precision, and defense planners expect the success to spur more complex, frequent multinational airborne training in Japan.