Japan To Modernise Airports, Seaports For Use By Defence Forces

Japan will modernise five civilian airports and 11 seaports in the near future, which will enable it to be used by the country’s defence forces in case of an emergency.

The plan is expected to be approved soon by a group of ministers. The plan is expected to be implemented next year, Kyodo reported.

The Japanese government has allocated an initial budget of $230 million for the programme.

The 16 commercial facilities, which are part of the programme, are located in Okinawa prefecture or the southwestern main island of Kyushu, and is being viewed as Japan’s bid to bolster defence around its far-flung southwest islands.

According to the details reported by Kyodo, the changes involve certain airports having longer runways and aprons built for fighters and transport aircrafts. The ports will see docks capable of accommodating destroyers, frigates, and other large combat ships. The modernisation is likely to benefit locals to use these updated facilities for commercial logistics and tourism.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April. Both the leaders are facing low ratings and the summit comes at a time when there are growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear programme, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company’s plan to buy an iconic American steel company.

Both the sides are expected to sign defence pacts and step up their response capabilities. The US Indo-Pacific Command responsible for Japan, has its headquarters in Hawaii and is 19 hours behind Japan. The Japanese government has time and again mentioned that this hampers the efficient interaction of Japanese forces and the US military.

The US and Japan had signed a defence treaty in 1960, which granted the United States the right to establish bases on the archipelago in exchange for a commitment to defend Japan in the event of an attack.