U.S. sounds out Japan about F-16 pullout from Misawa

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TOKYO, Sept. 12 Kyodo -
The U.S. government sounded out Japan in early April about pulling out all of
the around 40 F-16 fighters from its Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture,
possibly beginning later this year, sources close to Japan-U.S. relations said
Friday.
As part of the ongoing review of the U.S. defense strategy by the
administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, the United States at the time
also told Japan of an idea to reduce the number of F-15 fighters at its Kadena
Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture from the current level of over 50, they said.
Both of the proposals are pending, however, as Japan has shown reluctance due
to concern about the situation in North Korea and the possible impact on the
realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
Japan and the United States have agreed on realignment plans on the basis of
the current composition of U.S. forces in Japan.
But consultations on the overtures may commence after the incoming
administration of Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama is launched
next week.
The proposed cut in the number of F-15 fighters at the Kadena base could lead
to a review of the stalled relocation plan for the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma
Air Station in Okinawa.
An idea for integrating the airfield functions of the Futemma base into Kadena
has been surfacing intermittently within the Japanese government.
If the number of F-15 fighters is reduced as sounded out, the integration plan
could emerge again as such a reduction would enable Kadena to have the capacity
to accept the airfield functions of Futemma.
In May 2006, Japan and the United States agreed to relocate the airfield
functions of the Futemma Air Station to a less densely populated area in
another Okinawa city, Nago, as part of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
But the plan has met with a backlash from area residents.
The proposed withdrawal of the F-16 fighters and the cut in the number of F-15
fighters at Kadena would be welcome developments for local communities as they
would help to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. bases with reductions in
aircraft noise and accidents.
At the same time, however, there is concern among Japanese officials that such
a withdrawal and reduction could send the wrong message to North Korea and
China at a time when Pyongyang has conducted missile and nuclear tests and
Beijing is rapidly modernizing its military.
The F-16s were deployed at the Misawa base during the Cold War in the 1980s and
some defense experts believe the planes could be used for a so-called surgical
attack against North Korea now that the Cold War is over.
But some in both the Japanese and U.S. governments apparently believe that the
significance of the deployment at Misawa has diminished because it is less
possible to conduct such an attack.
And even if the need to launch a surgical attack were to arise, the operation
could be conducted by fighters aboard an aircraft carrier or from Guam, they
argue.
A Japanese government source said next-generation F-35 fighters could be flown
from Guam and stationed at Misawa on a rotational basis if the F-16s are pulled
out.
But full production of F-35s has not made headway and deployment of the planes
is likely to begin at least five years later, so there could be a period when
no U.S. fighter planes remain regularly at the Misawa base.
At a news conference on April 6, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates proposed
ending the production of F-22 fighters. He also proposed decommissioning 250
older fighters, including F-16s.
Around that time, the United States sounded out Japan through diplomatic
channels about withdrawing F-16s from Misawa and cutting the number of F-15s at
Kadena, the sources said.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry relayed the overtures to the Defense Ministry but
the government has decided to keep them secret, given their impact on the
Japan-U.S. security alliance, they said.
The Japanese government has not officially admitted that the United States
sounded out Japan about such matters.
A senior Defense Ministry official did not rule out the possibility of the
United States bringing forward the withdrawal of F-16s and the cut in the
number of F-15s.
Depending on the Obama administration's decision on the matter, the incoming
government led by Hatoyama could face a difficult choice.
In an agreement reached by Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan and two minor
parties on forming a coalition government, the parties said that the coalition
would ''move in the direction of reexamining the realignment of the U.S.
military forces in Japan and the role of U.S. military bases in Japan so as to
reduce the burden on Okinawa residents.'' The accord does not directly mention
the Futemma relocation issue.
Although the Futemma base is supposed to be relocated to the Marines' Camp
Schwab at Cape Henoko in Nago by 2014 under the 2006 accord, the project has
met delays due to disagreements between the central and local governments in
Japan over the proposed runway location.
Under the bilateral agreement, commonly known as the road map, two 1,600-meter
runways are to be built in a V-shaped formation around the camp's shore.
The prefectural government has demanded that the runways be moved further
offshore due to concern among area residents about safety and noise issues,
which are expected to arise after the airfield is put into operation.
The central government, for its part, says it will not meet the local
government's request ''without reasonable grounds.''
==Kyodo
2009-09-12 03:21:57