Two P-8A Poseidon patrol jets departed Jacksonville, Florida on Friday and arrived later at Kadena air base in Okinawa, in a move that was planned before Beijing declared an air defence zone last month covering disputed islands in the East China Sea, a navy official told AFP.
"This was scheduled for a long time," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"It's a rotational deployment."
Four more Poseidon aircraft are due to deploy at Okinawa later this month, the official said.
The assignment to Japan marks the first mission for the new plane, which is replacing the propeller-driven P-3 Orion aircraft that dates back to the 1960s.
The P-8A planes, converted Boeing 737s equipped with advanced radar and anti-ship missiles, are designed to hunt submarines and track other vessels at sea.
On November 23, China announced an expanded air defense identification zone and said aircraft would have to submit flight plans before entering the area, home to disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States have each sent planes into the zone without informing the Chinese, signalling their refusal to recognize Beijing's declaration.
After sending in two B-52 bombers last week, the US military has kept up "routine" military flights in the area but there has been no hostile response from China, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters Monday.
"The Chinese reaction to our operations has been normal," Warren said.
"We haven't changed our operational tempo," he added.
The deployment of the P-8 aircraft came as US Vice President Joe Biden set out Sunday on a trip to Asia which will include a visit to Beijing, where he will discuss the spike in regional tensions.
- Senior US officials said Biden would convey Washington's "concerns" about China's air defence zone and seek clarity regarding its intentions.
- While military flights have gone ahead as planned, the US State Department has advised American commercial airlines to observe China's demand for advance notice of aircraft entering the zone.
Although taking no position on the sovereignty dispute, Washington says it would uphold its defence treaty with Japan in the event of a conflict.
- AFP/ac
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/us-navy-deploys-new/907442.html
3/12/13
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Japan Okinawa leader approves US airbase relocation...
ReplyDeleteJapan has approved the relocation of a US military airbase on its southern island of Okinawa, officials said.
The governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, agreed to landfill work to develop a new base in a less densely populated part of the island, officials said.
The agreement is a breakthrough following years of deadlock over where a new US base should be placed.
The US has around 26,000 troops on Okinawa under a long-standing security alliance with Japan.
However, the bases are unpopular locally and there is growing pressure from residents for the US military footprint to be reduced.
The US Futenma airbase will now be relocated to a new site near Nago, a less densely populated area in the North of the island.
The move comes after years of negotiations. In 1996, Japan and the US agreed to close the Futenma airbase.
However, Okinawa's local government had been opposed to building a new base on the coast.
Some critics have demanded that the US airbase move out of Okinawa prefecture completely.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Mr Nakaima on Wednesday, urging him to agree to a new base. Mr Abe pledged an economic stimulus package to Okinawa every year until 2021.
There has been a US military presence on Okinawa since the Americans invaded the island during World War II.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25524007
27/12/13
Οκινάβα: διαμαρτυρίες κατά της απόφασης να παραμείνει η βάση των ΗΠΑ στο νησί ....
ReplyDeleteΠερίπου 2 χιλιάδες κάτοικοι της Οκινάβα συγκεντρώθηκαν έξω από τα γραφεία της διοίκησης του νησιού μετά την απόφαση του κυβερνήτη του Χιροκάζου Νακαίμα να εγκρίνει τη μετατόπιση της αμερικανική βάση Φουτέμα εντός του νομού.
Οι διαδηλωτές, κρατώντας ο ένας το χέρι του άλλου, σχημάτισαν γύρω από το κτίριο ζωντανό κλοιό. Εκατοντάδες άνθρωποι άρχισαν καθιστική απεργία στο χώλ του πρώτου ορόφου του κτιρίου της διοίκησης και απαιτούν συνάντηση με τον κυβερνήτη.
Σήμερα ο Νακαίμα ενέκρινε το σχέδιο μετεγκατάστασης της βάσης των ΗΠΑ στη Οκινάβα.
Οι ντόπιοι κάτοικοι απαιτούν την απομάκρυνση της βάσης από το νησί λόγω των συχνών περιπτώσεων παραβίασης του Νόμου από τους Αμερικανούς στρατιωτικούς.
Διαβάστε ολόκληρο το κείμενο: http://greek.ruvr.ru/news/2013_12_27/257217223/
27/11/13