Japan Press Weekly

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2016 January 27 - February 2 [US FORCES]

Kadena base receives additional US fighter jets in contrast to gov’t explanation on cuts in Okinawa’s base burdens

Toward the end of January, 40 U.S. fighter jets arrived at the Kadena base in Okinawa from outside the prefecture and the Defense Ministry announced that with the aim of reducing Okinawa’s base burdens, 20 Kadena-based U.S. military aircraft will conduct their training exercises in Guam in February.

Between January 25 and 27, 25 F-22 and F-16 fighter jets flew to the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa from Alaska with a stopover at the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. Those aircraft will reportedly carry out rapid response training exercises at the base for one month in February. In addition, FA-18 fighter jets and AV-8B Harrier jets flew to the base from the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

As of January 30, the number of U.S. military jets stationed at the Kadena base increased by 40, which caused a major increase in noise-induced hardships on people living near the base.

Kadena Town on January 29 submitted a written protest to the Defense Ministry’s local bureau. Town Mayor Toyama Hiroshi expressed his anger, saying, “This is the first ever large-scale arrival of U.S. military aircraft from outside Okinawa. How dare the central government continue to claim that it makes efforts to reduce Okinawan people’s burdens.”

Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on January 22 said to the press that he received no information from the U.S. forces about the arrival of F22s and F16s at the Kadena base.

Past related article:
> 26 US fighters fly to Yokota AB, largest number since Vietnam War [January 22 & 23, 2016]