٠٠:٠٢:٠١Japan: Saga Prefecture Governor discusses deployment of Osprey aircraft with Minister of Defence
The Governor of the Saga Prefecture, Yoshinori Yamaguchi, met with Yasukazu Hamada, the Japanese Minister of Defence in Tokyo on Thursday, to discuss a plan to deploy 17 Osprey military transport aircraft at the prefecture's airport.
On Monday, landowners voted to sell about 31 hectares of land to the Ministry of Defence for the construction of the transport aircraft base.
"I would like to ask you to proceed with the consultation one by one, with care and attention to the local community," Yoshinori Yamaguchi was heard saying to Hamada.
In turn, the Defence Minister thanked the Governor, saying "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Governor Yamaguchi and the people of Saga Prefecture for their understanding and cooperation with the deployment plan of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Osprey."
The Ministry of Defence plans to begin construction work at the Saga airport in early June. The decision to deploy the aircraft on the Nansei Islands comes amid growing tensions between China and Taiwan and China's increasing maritime expansion, according to local media reports.
The Osprey offers clear advantages over Ground Self-Defense Force transport helicopters and can take off and land on islands without runways. The aircraft is also faster, with a significantly improved range over conventional aerial transport vehicles.
٠٠:٠٢:٠١The Governor of the Saga Prefecture, Yoshinori Yamaguchi, met with Yasukazu Hamada, the Japanese Minister of Defence in Tokyo on Thursday, to discuss a plan to deploy 17 Osprey military transport aircraft at the prefecture's airport.
On Monday, landowners voted to sell about 31 hectares of land to the Ministry of Defence for the construction of the transport aircraft base.
"I would like to ask you to proceed with the consultation one by one, with care and attention to the local community," Yoshinori Yamaguchi was heard saying to Hamada.
In turn, the Defence Minister thanked the Governor, saying "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Governor Yamaguchi and the people of Saga Prefecture for their understanding and cooperation with the deployment plan of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Osprey."
The Ministry of Defence plans to begin construction work at the Saga airport in early June. The decision to deploy the aircraft on the Nansei Islands comes amid growing tensions between China and Taiwan and China's increasing maritime expansion, according to local media reports.
The Osprey offers clear advantages over Ground Self-Defense Force transport helicopters and can take off and land on islands without runways. The aircraft is also faster, with a significantly improved range over conventional aerial transport vehicles.