A joint exercise will take place from 4^th to 8^th August at the Japanese Komatsu air base, which will see the Italian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft train together to improve tactical skills and promote mutual understanding.

For the Italian Air Force, whose redeployment began alreay during the end of July through a complex and meticulous logistical operation, this will also be an important test of the command and control network and of the expeditionary capability, related to the ability to project, support and operate assets in a distant theatre. In fact, Italy will send to Japan aircraft with very different operational characteristics, including 5^th generation fighters F-35, KC-767A tankers, the brand new CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) G-550 and C-130J tactical transport aircraft.

This training activity, aimed at further increasing the competences of the reciprocal Air Forces in terms of defence cooperation, is part of a broader partnership between Italy and Japan, which also includes the agreement between the Italian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force for the training of Student Pilots at the International Flight Training School (IFTS), based in Decimomannu (Cagliari, in Sardinia, Italy).