Southwestern Japan’s island hub for aircraft, ferry routes, and space-age launch ambitions
Japan and the United States are conducting Keen Sword 27, a biennial exercise involving about 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 American service members, plus participants from seven other nations. The drills focus on defending Japan’s southwestern islands and nearby waters amid tensions with China, North Korea, and Russia, with new missiles and systems deployed to Yonaguni and surrounding areas.
Five space agencies have launched the MMX mission to land a robotic prospector and a rover on Phobos, Mars’ moon. The spacecraft has separated, paving the way for the Idefix rover and a two-hour surface operation planned for 2028-29, with a 2031 Earth return.