The Japan based US army will begin to deploy the Patriot
Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile interceptors at its
facilities in Okinawa Prefecture in August, Japanese government
officials said on Thursday.
The US government informed Japan of its decision on Wednesday,
Kyodo News quoted the officials as saying.
According to a plan, the US army would install altogether 24
launching pads and deploy 600 additional troops specified for the
advanced missile defense system at the US Kadena Air Base and the
US Air Force's Kadena Ammunition Storage Area.
This would be the first time for the Japan based US army to
deploy such a system, which is expected to have preliminary
operational capabilities by the end of 2006 and become fully
operational by the end of next March.
Deployment of related personnel and equipment start next month,
the Kyodo News said.
In the realignment plan of US military presence in Japan settled
in May, Japan and the United States agreed to start the deployment
of the PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability-3) missile interceptors
at US bases in Japan in 2006, but didn't mentioned as early as in
August.
The planned deployment aroused opposition from municipal
governments in Okinawa. Japanese Defense Facilities Administration
Agency chief Iwao Kitahara has arrived in Okinawa to have
discussion with local people and officials, who accused the central
government of imposing "a unilaterally decided measure" on
them.
(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)
