A soldier from Driffield is in Japan to train with the Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF).
Lance Corporal Maxwell Morley is on the mountainous island of Hokkaido for Exercise Vigilant Isles.
Soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade – the British Army’s global response force – are working with the JGSDF’s 5th Brigade. The troops are working together to practice how to defend against an invading force.
Maxwell serves with 14 Signal Regiment and is an electronic warfare and signals intelligence operator. On the exercise, Liam’s team is working to find enemy positions by detecting their communication signals.
The 23-year-old said:
“Working with different armies is always an interesting experience, because you get to see how others do the same job. We can learn and adapt to improve how we operate and help our allies to do the same.”
Maxwell, based at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, has previously deployed to the Falkland Islands during his three-year career in the Army.
The former Driffield School pupil said:
It’s been fascinating to come to Japan and experience the culture. The Japanese and have been very friendly and have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.”
Exercise Vigilant Isles – running for the fourth time this year – is part of the deepening military relationship between the UK and Japan, built around a shared commitment to Indo-Pacific security. The UK is the only European country able to conduct bilateral military training in Japan.
The two-week-long drills at the Minami-Eniwa training area, on the mountainous island of Hokkaido, saw British troops jump under Japanese parachutes and the two nations’ troops familiarise themselves with each other’s equipment and tactics.
The training culminated in a field exercise that saw the joint force deploy by parachute, helicopters, amphibious landings, and vehicles. The troops faced a simulated mission to repel an enemy invasion of Japanese territory.
A Coy 2 PARA was supported by Puma uncrewed aircraft systems from 32 Regiment Royal Artillery and a Light Electronic Warfare Team from 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare). The specialist Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance troops helped locate enemy positions, so they could be destroyed or outmanoeuvred before they could threaten the joint force.
Major Eddie Brecht, Officer Commanding A Coy 2 PARA, said:
“Exercise Vigilant Isles is about British and Japanese soldiers training together to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Working together seamlessly, we have developed our readiness for warfighting and achieved some notable firsts.
“British and Japanese paratroopers have trained to conduct tactical parachute operations together, and we have developed a software solution that allows targets identified by British reconnaissance assets to be prosecuted by Japanese artillery rapidly and with high precision.
“This has also been a fantastic experience for our soldiers to develop their soldiering skills, while also building lasting friendships. During my career I have trained in 15 countries, and I have never seen British soldiers integrate so quickly with those of another nation, which reflects the hospitality and openness of our Japanese allies.”
The British Army is recruiting right now to fill 10,000 jobs across the UK with more than 200 roles to choose from, covering everything from frontline combat and cyber security to helicopter pilots, chefs and support roles. There are more details at https://jobs.army.mod.uk
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