Enhancing Defense Capability in Kyushu

The Ministry of Defense (MOD) promotes enhancement of defense capability in Kyushu Island which is located southwest of Japan and closest to China among four main islands. The equipment for deployments includes fighter jet F-35B, long-range stand-off missiles which are capable to strike enemy’s bases and tiltrotor aircraft V-22 Osprey. As China frequently invades Japan’s territory in East China Sea, including the area around Senkaku Islands, Japan looks to be hasted for building up its defense capability, possibly raising tension in the region. 

MOD announced to neighbor local governments that it would begin deployment of F-35B to Japan Air Self-defense Force Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture, on August 7th. Nyutabaru base is located on east side of Kyushu island. The deployment is aimed at enhancing air defense for Nansei Archipelago, including islands of Okinawa and Senkaku.

 

F-35B has high stealth capability. As it is able to takeoff with short running and capable of vertical landing, the aircraft is supposed to be installed on the destroyers “Kaga” or “Izumo” which will be remodeled as aircraft carriers. The MOD has a plan, based on the Mid-term Defense Program 2018, to introduce 30 F-35Bs between FY2020 and FY2025 with the cost of 640 billion yen.

 

The deployment will begin with four F-35Bs on August 4th, followed by other four within this fiscal year and forty as a total in the future. Nyutabaru was selected because the base is relatively close to Mageshima Island in Kagoshima, where will be rebuilt as the basis for various exercises. MOD asked approval from local communities, explaining its plan to reduce damages of noise on ordinary life of the residents.

 

Ground Self-defense Force started earlier this month relocating tiltrotor transport aircraft V-22 Osprey from Kisarazu Base in Chiba Prefecture, next to Tokyo, to Saga Base. It will move all the seventeen Ospreys by mid-August. As MOD enhances capability of defending isolated islands, such as Senkaku Islands which has been facing pressure from Chinese vessels sticking around, V-22 is expected to strengthen defense capability of the islands in southwest Japan.

 

Some newspapers reported that MOD was considering deployment of long-range standoff missiles in Kumamoto for the first time since the ministry decided to introduce them. The standoff missile has highly been controversial, because it has a capability to strike bases in foreign countries which may attack Japan, allegedly violating constitutional requirement for exclusively defensive security policy.

 

It is remarkable that those security developments are exercised in Kyushu Island. A Chinese military aircraft has violated Japan’s territorial air around Danjo Archipelago last year. Chinese military aircrafts reiterated unusually close approaches to JSDF aircrafts. If Japan’s enhancement of defense capability in Kyushu is recognized as the countermeasures against China’s activities, it may lead to further acceleration of arms race in southeast region of Japan.

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