United States
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United Kingdom
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CAMP ASAKA, Japan — U.S., Japanese and Australian forces opened Yama Sakura 91 on Sept. 2 with a ceremony at Camp Asaka, launching a trilateral command post exercise centered on readiness and interoperability.
The exercise brings together about 700 U.S. personnel, 5,200 members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and 280 Australian Army personnel at locations across Japan and the United States. “This is more than the 46th iteration of Yama Sakura,” said Lt. Gen. Matthew W. McFarlane, commanding general of I Corps. “Today, we demonstrate the strength of our alliance in a very real way.”
Unlike field exercises that emphasize maneuver, Yama Sakura focuses on decision-making, command and control, and staff integration. It is designed to strengthen multinational coordination by aligning procedures, systems and planning processes, linking headquarters from the theater to division level and requiring commanders and staffs to coordinate capabilities and synchronize operations across multiple echelons.
Participating U.S. units include U.S. Army Pacific, I Corps, U.S. Army Japan and the 11th Airborne Division. They are working alongside the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the Australian Army’s 1st Division.
“This exercise provides an important opportunity to enhance the collective response capabilities and interoperability of Japan, the United States and Australia,” said Lt. Gen. Endo Makoto, commanding general of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Ground Component Command. “It contributes to the security of Japan and regional peace and stability.”
By training together, the three nations aim to refine how they communicate, plan and operate while bolstering relationships, technical compatibility and procedures needed for future crises or contingencies. “Interoperability is not built through systems and procedures alone. It is built through people,” said Maj. Gen. Ash Collingburn, commander of the Australian Army’s 1st Division. “It comes from understanding how our partners think, how they make decisions and how they operate.”
Now in its 46th iteration, Yama Sakura continues to evolve in scale and complexity, strengthening the ability of U.S., Japanese and Australian forces to operate together. The exercise runs through Sept. 10.
