Ministry of Defense: MQ9 to be relocated to U.S. Kadena Air Base
-redeploy from Kyushu to Okinawa-
– Immediate information gathering needs in the southwest region –
We will deliver summaries of Minami Nippon Shimbun articles.
Maritime Self-Defense Force: Kanoya Air Base
Currently, the U.S. military’s MQ9 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft is being deployed to Kagoshima Prefecture.
Ministry of Defense has notified:
On October 6, it was announced that “preparations for the relocation of the U.S. military to Kadena Air Base” would begin in October.
Multiple stakeholders:
The plan is to move all aircraft operated at Kanoya to Kadena in November.
The deadline for operation in Kagoshima Prefecture is November 20th.
US military aim:
The US military base is closer to the southwest region, where the Chinese military is increasing its maritime expansion.
The aim is to improve the sophistication of reconnaissance activities by operating U.S. military bases that have the infrastructure in place.
https://373news.com/_news/storyid/183157/
Significance of Kadena deployment: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
The Ministry of Defense said, “It will be able to respond to immediate intelligence gathering needs in the southwest region.”
Kadena Town: Mayor Hiroshi Toyama
The view is that “the security environment with foreign countries is severe. This does not necessarily negate the necessity.”
The frequency and noise of takeoffs and landings are low. Sufficient safety measures are in place.
Japan-U.S. Defense Ministers Meeting in the United States:
On October 4th, the Japan-U.S. Defense Ministers’ Meeting was held in the United States.
Confirmed that MQ9 is “extremely important” for strengthening surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities between Japan and the United States.
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOJC066TL0W3A001C2000000/
US MQ-9 unit to redeploy from Kyushu to Okinawa
General Atomics：Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9s
The US military is redeploying a unit of GA-ASI・MQ-9s from Kyushu island
to Okinawa to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in southwest Japan.
the US Department of Defense： (DoD)
The 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (ERS)operates eight MQ-9s,
We can confirm that the US Pacific Air Forces plans to deploy MQ-9s and US personnel
from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kanoya Air Base to Kadena Air Base,
a spokesperson from the USAF’s 18th Wing at Kadena told Janes.
The 319th ERS’s initial mandate
was one year of operations from Kanoya Air Base, on the southern tip of Kyushu island.
However, the move to Okinawa
has been prompted by rising concerns in the East China Sea,
Japanese Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara said during a press conference on 10 October.
the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD)
Kihara said.
“The activities of neighbouring countries have [increased], and there is also a need for information gathering in the sea and airspace around Japan’s southwest region,”
“The deployment of US Air Force MQ-9s to Kadena Air Base will, first, provide easier access to the area and increase [the duration of] ISR operations in the face of current heightened concerns.”
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-mq-9-unit-to-redeploy-from-kyushu-to-okinawa