A thousand Japanese troops have been learning how to recapture territory in the face of enemy fire. While the shoreline may be California, the skills they are building could one day be used closer to home.

The two-week “Dawn Blitz” joint drills in June saw a Japanese Self-Defense Force ship launching a hovercraft designed to carry troops and heavy weaponry that roared onto the beach, watched by officers from the U.S. and Japan. Elite rangers rehearsed a night-time beach infiltration.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-0...ower-eyed.html