Page 4 - Aerotech News and Review, Aug 17 2018

BRIEFS, from 2
a less dense part of Okinawa.
Environmentalists say the construction of two aircraft run-
ways as part of the construction plan will destroy critical feed- ing grounds and habitat for the dugong.
Peter Galvin with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs, said the ruling was wrong and would be over- turned by an appeals court. AP
China, ASEAN navies stage first emergency drills
Chinese and Southeast Asian naval forces have staged their first computer-simulated drills so they can jointly respond to emergencies and build trust amid the long-seething disputes in the South China Sea.
The two-day exercises that ended Aug. 3 involved more than 40 sailors from China and the 10-member Association of South- east Asian Nations. They worked on search and rescue scenarios following a mock ship collision.
Singapore’s navy hosted the drills at a training center at Changi naval base.
It’s a prelude to actual sea drills planned for October in China.
Capt. Liang Zhijia from the People’s Liberation Army Navy says, “The exercise is beneficial to promote military exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN member states, to advance our mutual trust.” AP
British warship docks in Tokyo, expands UK pres- ence
A British warship has docked in Tokyo as Britain seeks to expand its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The HMS Albion arrived Aug. 3 in the middle of a heat wave to start a five-day visit. The amphibious assault ship has been conducting maritime security and surveillance operations in Asia in recent weeks.
It is the second of three British warships due to be deployed to Asia this year, the first such deployments in several years.
Britain and Japan agreed last year to step up defense coopera- tion in the face of a growing threat from North Korea and Chi-
na’s expanding presence in the South China Sea. The waters are a major shipping lane for global trade including Britain’s. AP
Suicide bomber kills 3 NATO forces in eastern Af- ghanistan
The U.S. military says a suicide bombing in eastern Afghani- stan has killed three NATO forces.
The three were service members from the Czech Republic.
A U.S. soldier and two Afghan troops were wounded in the Aug. 5 blast, which targeted a foot patrol.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack took place at about 3:50 a.m., near the Bagram military base in the provice of Parwan.
Wahida Shahkar, the spokeswoman for the provincial gov- ernor, said the attack took place near the provincial capital, Charakar.
NATO formally concluded its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but thousands of forces are still providing support and training to Afghan troops, and carrying out counterterrorism missions.
The Czechs recently have approved a plan to deploy 390 soldiers in Afghanistan through 2020, up from the current 230, as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission. AP
Tens of thousands rally for removal of U.S. base off Okinawa
Tens of thousands of protesters in Okinawa vowed to stop the planned relocation of a U.S military base, saying they want it off the southern Japanese island entirely.
Opponents of the relocation say the plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a crowded neighborhood to a less populated coastal site would not only be an environmental debacle but also ignore local wishes to remove the base.
About 70,000 people gathered Aug. 14 at a park in the state capital of Naha under pouring rain ahead of an approaching typhoon and observed a moment of silence for Okinawa’s gov- ernor, Takeshi Onaga, who died Aug. 11 of cancer.
Onaga, elected in 2014, had spearheaded opposition to the
relocation and criticized the central government for ignoring the voices of Okinawans. He had filed lawsuits against the central government and said he planned to revoke a landfill permit is- sued by his predecessor that is needed for construction of the new base.
Deputy Gov. Kiichiro Jahana, representing Onaga at the Aug. 14 rally, said he will follow through with the revocation process as instructed by the governor and succeed his “strong determina- tion and passion.”
Okinawans are trying to block the government plan to start dumping soil into Henoko Bay within days to make a landfill for the new site of the Futenma base. Environmental groups say construction at the bay risks corals and endangered dugongs.
The protesters held up signs saying “Henoko new base, NO!” and “Okinawans will not give up,” as they chanted slogans. They also adopted a resolution demanding the central govern- ment to immediately scrap the relocation plan.
Japan’s government says the current plan is the only solution, but many Okinawans want the base off the island. About half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan are stationed on Okinawa.
Onaga had said Tokyo’s postwar defense posture under the Japan-U.S. security alliance was built on Okinawa’s sacrifice. The dispute over the Futenma relocation reflects centuries-old
tensions between Okinawa and the Japanese mainland, which annexed the islands, formerly the independent kingdom of the Ryukus, in 1878. Okinawa was Japan’s only home battleground in the final days of World War II, and the island remained under U.S. rule for 20 years longer than the rest of Japan.
Okinawa is still forced to sacrifice for the interest of the mainland, Onaga’s son Takeharu, an Okinawa assemblyman, told the rally.
“The (relocation issue) is pushed to Okinawa because no- body on the mainland wants it,” he said, urging the rest of the country to also think about the issue. “Let us keep fighting so we can achieve my father’s unfinished goal and give him good news.” AP
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August 17, 2018
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