Faced with growing security concerns in East Asia, and looking at potential military use of civilian infrastructure, the Japanese government has selected 33 airports and ports in 10 prefectures as candidates for expansion, Nikkei has learned.
The government will shortly begin discussions with prefectures and municipalities that manage the facilities to extend runways and expand docks, enabling the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Japan Coast Guard to evacuate citizens or deploy troops in an emergency.
The national security strategy revised at the end of last year included a plan to upgrade airports and ports in preparation for contingencies. The government will designate certain facilities as essential bases and allocate the necessary funds for upgrades in its fiscal 2024 budget proposal.
The government has selected 14 airports and 19 ports, according to an unofficial document drafted in August and seen by Nikkei. At least 16 facilities are located in the Ryukyu Islands — including Okinawa in southern Japan, and on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku in the western part of the country.
Emphasis was placed on areas near China, which is strengthening its military, and Taiwan, which many analysts say could become the focal point of an armed conflict in the near future.
The list of airports includes Yonaguni, New Ishigaki, Miyako, and Naha in Okinawa prefecture, as well as Kagoshima and Miyazaki in Kyushu, and Kochi in Shikoku.
These locations could serve as bases from which the SDF could deploy troops and supply fuel and food in the event of a contingency in Taiwan.
“It is also meant to allow the U.S. military to dispatch troops in the event of a contingency,” Masahisa Sato, former chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s foreign affairs division, told Nikkei.
The runways at Yonaguni, New Ishigaki, and Miyako airports are 2,000 meters long, making takeoffs and landings difficult for military transport aircraft such as the C-2, which can carry more than 100 people. The government will consider extending the runways and making other improvements to enable evacuation of residents.
At other airports, new parking lots, taxiways, and hangars will be built to facilitate the operation of SDF and Japan Coast Guard aircraft. A senior SDF official told Nikkei: “A civilian runway of 2,500 meters or more that is easy to use for defense purposes is a security asset for Japan.”
The government also plans to build a new port on Yonaguni Island where escort vessels and patrol vessels can dock. The docks at Ishigaki, Hirara, and Naha ports in Okinawa, Kumamoto port in Kumamoto, and Hakata port in Fukuoka will also be refurbished.
Hokkaido, which is near Russia, and Fukui prefecture, which has to deal with suspicious vessels from North Korea, were also listed for improvements. The list of candidate facilities to be upgraded is classified and may be updated.