Japan, U.S. Agree on Joint Use of Yokota Air Base
Posted on: Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 18:01 CDT
Tokyo, July 19 (Jiji Press)--Japan and the United States have reached a basic accord on joint use of the U.S. military's Yokota Air Base, western Tokyo, as part of an ongoing review of the U.S. military forces in Japan, it was learned Tuesday.
The two countries also agreed to transfer the responsibility of air traffic control at Yokota Air Base to Japan and allow the use of the base by commercial aircraft, informed sources told Jiji Press.
The agreements are expected to be included in an interim report the two governments will publish in September on the review, the sources said.
The Japanese government has been calling for joint use of the base by the Japanese and U.S. air forces in order to improve coordination.
Under the agreement, Yokota Air Base will not only host the headquarters of U.S. Air Force units in Japan, as it does now, but also the Air Defense Command of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force, which is now located at Fuchu Air Base, western Tokyo.
Discussions are also under way on a plan to build a Japan-U.S. joint operation center for a missile defense system at Yokota.
The United States agreed to return Yokota's air traffic control on condition that it will be managed by the ASDF.
Yokota Air Base is currently responsible for radar approach control, or RAPCON, of air space over part of Tokyo and eight prefectures in eastern and central Japan.
This has discouraged Japanese commercial airlines from using the air space, necessitating longer flight hours and extra fuel consumption, and causing congestion in the remaining air space over Tokyo.
The Japanese government plans to initially limit civilian use of Yokota Air Base to charter flights.
Japanese commercial airlines said they are not expecting much demand for flights from Yokota because Tokyo already has an international airport in Haneda, south of the city on the Tokyo Bay.
In addition, Yokota does not have facilities necessary to handle regular commercial flights, such as passenger and cargo terminals.
Allowing full-fledged civilian use of the base is also expected to meet with local opposition because of the increase in noise pollution in surrounding areas.
The United States is expected to allow up to about 15 commercial flights a day as long as they do not obstruct military operations at Yokota.
Civilian use of the base has been strongly pushed for by Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara.END
Source: Jiji Press English News Service
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