China Flexed Its Carrier. On Monday, America and Japan Put Missiles 70 Miles From Taiwan
Keen Sword, a long-planned biennial exercise, begins Oct. 19 with 45,000 Japanese troops and the Marines' first NMESIS and MADIS deployment to Yonaguni, days after the Liaoning drilled in the western Pacific. In our view, it is peace through strength in practice.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 17, 2026 | 6-min read Earlier this week, China sent its aircraft carrier Liaoning into the western Pacific for drills, launching aircraft in Taiwan's eastern exclusive economic zone and operating south of Japan's Ishigaki Island [1][2]. On Monday, Oct. 19, America and Japan begin Keen Sword, their largest joint exercise, a biennial drill planned well before this week, involving 45,000 Japanese troops [3][4]. For the first time, U.S. Marines will take anti-ship and air-defense missile systems to Yonaguni, an island about 70 miles from Taiwan, though a Japanese Joint Staff spokesman said none of the systems will be fired [3]. In our view, this is what deterrence looks like: allies standing together, in the right places, with the right weapons, before a crisis rather than after it. Key Takeaways Keen Sword runs Oct. 19 to 29 and will involve 45,000 troops, 6,100 vehicles, about 40 vessels and 260 aircraft from Japan, according to Japan's Joint Staff [3]. The Marines' NMESIS anti-ship system and MADIS air-defense system will deploy to Yonaguni for the first time [3][4]. The U.S. Army will bring HIMARS rocket launchers to Camp Ishigaki [4]. China's Liaoning carrier group drilled in the