Japan, Italy to conduct joint air drill in Sea of Japan

TOKYO, July 25 (Reuters) - Japan and Italy will hold a joint fighter jet drill between Aug 2-10, Japan's Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) said on Tuesday, a week after it announced a similar exercise with the French air force.

It would be the first joint air drill between Japan and Italy, Kyodo news agency reported.

Four Japanese F-15 jets and four Italian F-35A jets will join the drills scheduled around northern Japan's Komatsu air base on the coast of the Sea of Japan, according to the ASDF. The sea divides Japan from Russia's Far East and the Korean peninsula.

Japan will also hold a joint air exercise with the Australian air force in Komatsu from Aug 23-Sept 15, ASDF said in a separate statement.