Well, good for them:  It's about thime they finally find a backbone and tell us they don't need us babysitting them on Japanese terrirtory anymore.

Article in Japanese < link >

 

Foreign Minister Okada says the government will revise PKO5 rule to facilitate more aggressive SDF deployment overseas.

This is supposed to be Japan's contribution to Afghan war as a substitute for suspension of US warship refueling.

< link >

 

US urges Hatoyama administration to make the decision of Futenma before Obama visit. Hatoyama administration says they would make the decision on their own term and only after Okinawan election in January 2010.

I'd say the US government is stunned that the Japanese would elect that big of a moron.  Which is okay...I'm continually stunned that we elected our moron.

 

 

Some update on Okinawa situation < link >

 

- US is offering to halve F-15 strength in Kedena and move half(24) to Misawa air base in Northern part of mainland Japan. This would preserve US ability to react to North Korean situations but greatly weaken US ability to counter possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

 

- To make rooms for F-15s, 40 F-16s at Misawa would return to the US. This in turn puts additional pressure on ROKAF, as they now have to carry out SEAD operation on North Korean radar network themselves, which was to be handled by  Misawa bases's F-16 SEAD squadron.

 

- 20,000 Okinawans protested against US presence in Okinawa on November 7th.

 

I don't see any mention of the Misawa F-16s being moved to the US in that article, SlowMan.  It's certainly possible, but those F-16s could also be moved to Osan.  As far as Okinawa goes vis a vis an Chinese invasion of Taiwan, it would take, what, about six hours to move those F-15s back to Kadena?  In any case, most of the defense of Taiwan would come from carrier aviation; F-15s and F-22s at Kadena would be the initial lead force until the carriers can get there.

 

The Misawa F-16s could also end up going to Guam (unlikely) or Alaska (possible), and would be available for deployment to Korea.  If the North Koreans get nasty, this isn't 1950--USAF air assets can be to Korea in less than a day. 

 

Besides, as you said before, the North Koreans are a joke and the ROKAF should be able to handle them, right?  And as I recall, you don't regard the Norks as the primary threat to South Korea, but Japan...so it shouldn't matter who's at Misawa or not, correct?

 

You might've mentioned the Japanese article before, SlowMan.  It aids people in not thinking you're pulling something out of your rear end.

 

If the ROCAF can't hold on for 12 hours, then there's no point in holding Taiwan anyway.  And you can bet that all the Okinawans whining about Kadena would be aggressively ignored in time of war. 

@  Sentinel28a

Hatoyama's confrontation with the US over Futenma base removal is escalating, as DPJ says they are going to reveal the secret nuclear weapons pact between LDP and the US soon. < link >

 

This move is intended to humiliate both LDP and the US and further raise tensions with Obama administration.