The United States and Japan should consider making Yokota Air Base, northwest of Tokyo, open for civilian aviation, while still preserving its military readiness and enhancing its capacity for military operations, according to a new report by the Center for a New American Security. Utilizing the base, which is home to the 374th Airlift Wing, in a dual role could lead to new infrastructure development, help to solve airport shortage issues for the Japanese, and potentially open the door for expanding US military access to civilian aviation facilities across Japan, states the report, issued on Oct. 24. A “dispersed approach to military operations is well suited to current security challenges and could effectively serve the interests of both allies,” write the study authors. Further, it would set a “valuable precedent” for other bases in the Asia-Pacific region, they assert.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
