The mayor of Kadena Town in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Monday visited the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Okinawa Defense Bureau to protest the planned storage of the US Typhon mid-range missile system at Kadena Air Base in the town.
According to Kyodo News, Mayor Hiroshi Toyama submitted a written request to the bureau demanding that the plan be withdrawn, saying it disregards the feelings of local residents and is utterly absurd and absolutely unacceptable.
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Toyama noted that, as no storage period has been specified, he fears the arrangement could turn into a permanent, formal deployment.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau announced on its website on Friday that the US Typhon missile system, currently deployed at Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, is planned to be withdrawn and stored at Kadena Air Base by mid-October.
Kyodo News previously reported that the Typhon system is capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and has been deployed at Kanoya Air Base for joint military exercises involving Japan, the United States and other countries.
The deployment of the Typhon system in Japan has drawn strong protests from neighbouring countries.
- Mayor Hiroshi Toyama of Kadena Town visited the Okinawa Defense Bureau to protest the planned storage of the US Typhon missile system at Kadena Air Base.
- Toyama submitted a written request demanding the withdrawal of the storage plan, calling it absurd and unacceptable to local residents.
- He expressed concern that, with no specified storage period, the plan might lead to permanent deployment of the missile system.
- The Okinawa Defense Bureau announced that the US Typhon missile system would be withdrawn from Kanoya Air Base and stored at Kadena Air Base by mid-October.
- The Typhon missile system, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, has previously been involved in joint military exercises and prompted protests from neighboring countries.
