U.S. Army soldiers and members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force recently fired Patriot air-defense missiles during a joint training exercise on the New Mexico portion of the Fort Bliss Training Complex.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated with Japanese air defenders in the live-fire event marking the conclusion of Exercise Shining Star 26, according to Fort Bliss.
The exercise continues a long history of Japanese air-defense forces traveling to southern New Mexico for missile training.
Shining Star is a recurring U.S.-Japan air-defense exercise built around Patriot surface-to-air missile live fires. The Army has described the training as an opportunity for American and Japanese air defenders to practice their tactics and communication procedures together while improving the ability of the two forces to operate alongside one another.…