Agreement will allow U.S. to fly long-range surveillance drones from base in Japan

Washington Post ^ | October 3, 2013 | Craig Whitlock and Anne Gearan

[Seizethecarp]

The U.S. military will deploy long-range Global Hawk surveillance drones from Japan next year, U.S. and Japanese officials announced Thursday, marking the first time the Pentagon has been able to secure basing rights for the advanced unmanned aircraft in that region.

Besides flying missions over North Korea, the Global Hawks would presumably give the United States and Japan better information about the movements of Chinese ships in the vicinity of the Senkakus.

In addition to the Global Hawks, U.S. and Japanese officials announced that the Pentagon would deploy new U.S. Navy P-8 maritime surveillance patrol aircraft to Japan, starting in December.

In addition to the drones and the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, Japan and the United States announced that a new anti-ballistic radar station would be built in Kyogamisaki, in southern Japan, and become operational sometime in the next year.

Although the Pentagon says the radar is aimed at North Korea, it ranks high on China’s list of grievances about the U.S. military’s enhanced presence in the region.

Japan also announced that it would pay up to $3.1 billion to help relocate 9,000 U.S. Marines from bases on the southern island of Okinawa, where many Japanese are opposed to their presence. Under an agreement reached last year, most of the Marines will transfer to Guam over the next decade while others will move to Hawaii.

[Seizethecarp]

Barry tries to reassure Japan and South Korea that the collapse of credible US power projection in CentCom does not extend to East Asia...while moving US Marines on Okinawa out of Chinese ballistic missile range.

[Sacajaweau]

Net mentioned several times...the little lying North Koreans and their nuclear program.

IIRC, Egypt was a surprise...as well as Pakistan.

[Sacajaweau]

Whoops to previous post...India not Egypt...

[edcoil]

Looks like Japan is saying get the people out, let the technology stay with the money.

[onedoug]

Take the standard consensus with the fact that the little islamist is in charge. If he speaks, he’s lying.