Exercise Keen Sword 27: Why the US–Japan Military Drill Matters for Indo-Pacific Security
Exercise Keen Sword 27 is a large-scale, biennial US–Japan military field-training exercise conducted in Japan, including its southwestern islands and surrounding waters. The October 2026 report describes participation by approximately 56,000 Japanese and American military personnel, along with warships, aircraft and other military assets. The exercise highlights interoperability, island defence, maritime security, missile defence and multi-domain military coordination. This article explains the exercise, the First Island Chain, the Taiwan Strait, its strategic implications and key UPSC Prelims and Mains concepts.