October 5, 2011
From October, Japan will pay 75% of the costs for relocating U.S. forces’ flight exercises from Okinawa to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. This was agreed upon by the Japanese and U.S. governments on October 4.
According to the agreement, the U.S. Marines stationed at the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Pref. and the U.S. Air Force units at the Misawa base in Aomori Pref. will start to conduct flight exercises at the new locations this month as part of the U.S. military realignment in Japan.
The exercises in Guam are scheduled to take place two to three times within this fiscal year. Japan-U.S. joint military drills are also planned to be held there around the same period of time.
The agreement shows the two governments’ intention to gain Okinawans’ acceptance of the construction of a new U.S. base in Nago City by moving the flight exercises out of the prefecture.
However, besides the flight exercise activities, U.S. military aircraft stationed in mainland Japan as well as in the U.S. frequently fly to the Kadena base in Okinawa throughout the year.
According to the agreement, the U.S. Marines stationed at the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Pref. and the U.S. Air Force units at the Misawa base in Aomori Pref. will start to conduct flight exercises at the new locations this month as part of the U.S. military realignment in Japan.
The exercises in Guam are scheduled to take place two to three times within this fiscal year. Japan-U.S. joint military drills are also planned to be held there around the same period of time.
The agreement shows the two governments’ intention to gain Okinawans’ acceptance of the construction of a new U.S. base in Nago City by moving the flight exercises out of the prefecture.
However, besides the flight exercise activities, U.S. military aircraft stationed in mainland Japan as well as in the U.S. frequently fly to the Kadena base in Okinawa throughout the year.
