January 12, 2010

The Yokosuka City government announced that the number of days that U.S. nuclear warships stayed at the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture reached a record-high in 2009.

In 2009, U.S. nuclear warships visited the Yokosuka base 23 times, which was more than twice as many as port calls in 2008, and stayed for 324 days in total, an increase by 204 days from 2008.

An official of the Yokosuka City government said, “Since the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was deployed in Yokosuka in August 2008 as a replacement for the conventional aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, U.S. nuclear warships have made frequent port calls.”

In addition to the deployment of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gorge Washington to Yokosuka, large nuclear-powered submarines also entered the Yokosuka base. This highlights the U.S. military’s intention to strengthen the Yokosuka base capability as a strategic stronghold for U.S. nuclear warships.
- Akahata, January 12, 2010