Japan to Deploy Surveillance Radar on Pacific Island

   Tokyo, June 28 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has decided to deploy a mobile surveillance radar system of the Air Self-Defense Force on Kitadaitojima, a remote Pacific island in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Friday.
   The government has notified the village of Kitadaito, which administers the island, of its decision, Kihara told a press conference.
   With the Chinese military becoming increasingly active in the Pacific, "Kitadaitojima is in an important location for the Japanese government's constant monitoring around the country," Kihara told a press conference.
   Remote Pacific islands in Japan, including Tokyo's Izu and Ogasawara chains, have no fixed radar systems, leaving them insufficiently covered by the country's surveillance network.
   The government has been conducting a local survey for radar deployment on the island. It plans to acquire two sites with a total area of 8 hectares owned by the village of Kitadaito and station about 30 ASDF troops there.

(2024/06/28-16:20)

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