Saga Gov. Yoshinori Yamaguchi said Friday he will accept a Defense Ministry plan to deploy Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft to an airport in his prefec
SAGA – Saga Gov. Yoshinori Yamaguchi said Friday he will accept a Defense Ministry plan to deploy Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft to an airport in his prefecture, with the state promising to pay ¥10 billion ($90 million) over 20 years as landing fees.
“I decided to accept the ministry’s request after comprehensive studies and careful consideration,” Yamaguchi told a news conference at the prefectural government’s office.
According to a Defense Ministry official, the southwestern prefecture will use part of the ¥10 billion to support local fishers, who are concerned that the aircraft’s noise may affect their businesses.
The ministry agreed to pay the sum as Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera visited Saga Prefecture to meet the governor and the head of a local fishers’ group on Friday.
Onodera told the group’s chief that the ministry plans to conduct a thorough study on the effects of the Osprey’s noise on fish.
The ministry seeks to deploy 17 newly acquired Ospreys at Saga airport to strengthen Japan’s ability to protect outlying islands amid China’s increasing maritime presence.
