Warship shows Japan’s determination to expand military role 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy the Associated PressSUBIC, Philippines (AP) — One of Japan’s largest warships, the helicopter carrier Izumo, is returning home from Subic port in the Philippines following a powerful show of Tokyo’s determination to expand its military presence and counter China’s forays into strategic waters. The carrier, along with the destroyers Murasame and Akebono, just finished a series of drills with the United States and other countries. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made amending the constitution to allow the military greater leeway one of his lifetime goals. The Defense Ministry says Japan’s air force scrambled fighter jets 999 times in 2018, the second highest number since it began defending its airspace in 1958.

Source: Manila Bulletin July 03, 2019 07:07 UTC