May 29, 2010
A new runway aimed at alleviating noise has gone into operation at the US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, western Japan.
Japan's Defense Ministry spent about 2.7 billion dollars building the runway 1 kilometer offshore.
Representatives from the Japanese and US governments, the US military and the city of Iwakuni attended an opening ceremony on Saturday.
US Ambassador to Japan, John Roos, said he was pleased to confirm the strong alliance between the 2 countries through the project, and that the Iwakuni base would continue to play a vital role.
Iwakuni City Mayor, Yoshihiko Fukuda, said he was pleased to witness the completion of the project, and that he wanted to again thank the people who contributed to it.
Following his remarks, a US fighter plane and a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force plane landed on the new 2,440-meter runway built on 213-hectres of reclaimed land.
Under a realignment plan for US forces in Japan, the base will accept a refueling aircraft unit currently based in Futenma, Okinawa. It will also host 59 carrier-based fighter jets from the US Atsugi Naval Air Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.
The relocation plan has raised concerns among local residents that the noise level will increase despite the offshore runway. A lawsuit calling for a court injunction against the relocation has already been filed.
2010/05/29 22:30(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
Posts
