Relocation of U.S. forces to Guam: Steadily reduce burden on Okinawa in hosting bases

Editorial

16:08 JST, December 27, 2024

Seventy percent of the facilities exclusively used by the U.S. military in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa Prefecture. It is significant to reduce that burden. It is a welcome development that moves to transfer U.S. Marine Corps units out of Japan have begun.

Some of the units stationed in Okinawa have started relocating to the U.S. territory of Guam, with about 100 personnel being transferred in phases as an advance detachment.

The relocation of U.S. marines outside of Japan is a pillar of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which was agreed to by the Japanese and U.S. governments in 2006. According to the plan, 9,000 of the about 19,000 marines in the prefecture will be transferred outside of Japan.

Initially, the relocation was supposed to be completed in 2014. However, as the plan to move the U.S. Futenma Air Station to the Henoko district in Nago in the prefecture strayed off course when the Democratic Party of Japan was in power, the realignment of U.S. forces has been delayed considerably.

The impact of the misstep by the government at the time — making an irresponsible assertion that the Futenma base would be relocated out of the prefecture — has been significant.

The presence in Okinawa of the U.S. Marines Corps, which can perform a wide range of missions both on land and at sea, has served as a deterrent against North Korea and China.

Even so, the security environment around Japan has deteriorated compared to the time when the Japan-U.S. agreement was reached. North Korea has repeatedly conducted nuclear tests. China has rapidly increased its military buildup and now possesses aircraft carriers and stealth fighter aircraft.

Even after the relocation overseas is completed, the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps and a total of about 10,000 members of combat units are scheduled to remain in Okinawa. It is hoped that they will maintain readiness for rapid responses and contribute to stability in the Nansei area.

There have been examples of cooperation toward reducing Okinawa’s burden by local governments elsewhere in Japan, such as the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, accepting in 2014 an aerial refueling aircraft unit that had been deployed at the Futenma base. However, no such momentum has been seen in recent years. The government should step up its efforts to urge cooperation by local governments hosting U.S. military facilities in other parts of Japan.

U.S. forces are currently conducting a global review of their posture.

The U.S. military has decided to phase out its aging old-model F-15 fighter jets at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, and instead rotate in state-of-the-art F-22 stealth and other aircraft from key bases in Alaska and elsewhere.

The F-22 has been called the world’s most powerful fighter jet. But there was widespread concern within the Japanese government as to whether the rotation of the aircraft would ensure deterrence. Based on requests from the Japanese side, the U.S. military has decided to permanently station the new-model F-15EX fighters at the Kadena base.

As allies, it is important to have open discussions with each other and ensure that there are no gaps in defense postures.

Japan, for its part, must continue its efforts to enhance its own defense capabilities. In recent years, the Self-Defense Forces have opened a string of military posts in the Nansei Islands, which have been called a “defense vacuum zone.” It is essential for the SDF to accumulate practical joint training with U.S. forces in Japan and strengthen its own response capabilities.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 27, 2024)