Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and US Marines are holding their first joint drills on the Pacific islands of Guam and Tinian. About 60 Marines and Japanese troops landed on the island on 7 boats in an attack formation, according to Japan's (NHK World) website . Once on land, the troops assumed a shooting position and searched the bushes for enemy combatants. GSDF Major Yohei Ito said his forces had never conducted a drill covering a complete island before. He said it was significant that his forces were holding the exercise on Guam under the assumption that it was one of Japan's remote islands. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces are hoping to acquire the US Marines' know-how to boost the defense of the Nansei Islands in southern Japan.