ASDF Base Construction on Mageshima to Be Delayed by 3 Years

Kagoshima, Jan. 19 (Jiji Press)--Construction of a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force base on Mageshima, an island in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima, is likely to be delayed by three years.

Initially, the base was projected to be completed in 2027, about four years after the start of the construction work. The completion is now expected for the end of March 2030 due to bad weather and a labor shortage, according to the Defense Ministry.

On the nearby Kagoshima island of Tanegashima, which has been used as a base for workers involved in the construction project, problems such as a sharp increase in traffic volume are causing worries among residents.

The ASDF base on Mageshima, an uninhabited island some 10 kilometers west of Tanegashima, is planned to be used as a hub for the defense of Japan's Nansei southwestern islands. The Defense Ministry plans to install two runways at the base for takeoff and landing exercises of U.S. carrier-based aircraft and F-35B stealth fighters of the ASDF. Facilities such as an ammunition depot will also be constructed.

However, the ministry has faced difficulties securing workers and construction materials due to the fallout of such large-scale projects as the World Exposition in Osaka, western Japan, which is set to start in mid-April this year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]