Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force will conduct joint drills with the US Marine Corps in southern Japan from next month to bolster Japan's defense of remote islands.

The GSDF said on Friday that the drills will be held between February 16 and March 12, and involve 1,700 personnel, some from the Okinawa-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.

The exercises will be staged at the Hijudai training ground in Oita Prefecture, on the islands of Tokunoshima and Kikaijima in Kagoshima Prefecture, at Camp Hansen in Okinawa Prefecture and elsewhere.

The drills are to include landing exercises involving amphibious vehicles and aircraft, and live firing drills.

Such joint drills aimed at rehearsing defense of remote islands started in 2006, but the upcoming exercises will be the first in Japan, as well as the first involving an Okinawa-based Marine unit.

GSDF officers said having the exercises in Kyushu and Okinawa will further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. But they acknowledged that the drills may cause trouble for local residents. They said that by relaying relevant information as swiftly as possible, they hope to obtain local people's understanding.

The recently adopted three documents on Japan's national security have called for promotion of joint use of defense facilities and joint deployments of personnel through Japan-US exercises, with China and other countries in mind.

More such joint drills are expected across Japan.