Free Republic

) Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa on Thursday notified Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima that Guam will host some of the drills involving Okinawa-based F-15 fighters, as part of efforts to ease the base-hosting burden on the prefecture. Kitazawa told Nakaima the move would "definitely reduce" noise caused by such exercises and urged locals to realize that the state was striving to help Okinawa's development while reducing its burden of hosting U.S. bases. Nakaima took a cautious stance toward the move, saying, "Let me (first) take a look at the details (of the agreement) to see if the noise could be considerably...

The United States and Japan agreed yesterday to relocate a controversial U.S. air base to a less densely populated area on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The future of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma had been a subject of intense political debate in Japan that led to the possibility of the base being moved off the island entirely, despite a 2006 agreement to relocate it on Okinawa. Talks between Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for the United States and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa for Japan addressed a range...

The U.S. Air Force is scheduled to deploy F-22A Raptors to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Kadena Air Base, Japan, in late May for approximately four months. Twelve F-22As will deploy from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., to Andersen AFB and another 12 will deploy from Holloman AFB, N.M., to Kadena AB. Approximately 250 Airmen will accompany the Raptors to each location. The F-22A is a transformational combat aircraft that can avoid enemy detection, cruises at supersonic speeds, is highly maneuverable, and provides the joint forces an unprecedented level of integrated situational awareness. As part of continuing force posture adjustments...