Large US reconnaissance drones will be stationed in Okinawa.
According to an AFP report from Tokyo on the 8th, the Okinawa Defense Bureau informed the Okinawa Prefectural Government today that the US Navy will indefinitely deploy several large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft MQ-4C to the US Air Force Kadena Base within a few weeks. The Okinawa Prefectural Government has expressed opposition to this.
The US military's plan aims to strengthen its intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities in Japan's southwestern region.
The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle can gather information on ships and perform surveillance tasks from the air. With a length of about 15 meters and a wingspan of about 40 meters, it can fly continuously for more than 24 hours with a range of approximately 15,000 kilometers.
In May to October last year, the US Navy temporarily deployed two MQ-4C drones to the Kadena Base in Okinawa Prefecture to enhance the surveillance mechanism around the East China Sea and the southwestern islands of Japan.
Today morning, the head of the Okinawa Defense Bureau visited the Okinawa Prefectural Government to explain the matter to the head of the governor's office. The Okinawa Prefectural Government stated that the explanation received included the US side's plan to equip several drones within a few weeks, with no fixed duration.
The US Navy and Marine Corps successively deployed MQ-9 Reaper unmanned reconnaissance aircraft at the Kadena Base after October 2023. This time, the US military plans to station MQ-4C drones in Okinawa again, which is expected to trigger stronger backlash from surrounding local governments and other entities.
After listening to the explanation from the Okinawa Defense Bureau, Takagi Nobuyuki, supervisor of the Okinawa Prefectural Government's Base Countermeasures General Office (under the jurisdiction of the Okinawa Governor's Office), told the media, "The position of the prefectural government is to request the alleviation of the burden caused by US bases, and has conveyed the 'opposition' stance. Even if drones are to be deployed, we hope that the US side will consider reducing the number of manned aircraft accordingly."
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828849364098112/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.