City in Kyoto Pref. calls for probe into Japan-US military drill held without prior notice
The Kinki-Chubu Defense Bureau of the Ministry of Defense admitted that it was also unaware of the joint exercise and stated, "We will investigate the facts and provide a response."
The Kyotango Municipal Government raised the issue at a Defense Ministry-hosted liaison conference on safety and security measures related to the Kyogamisaki Communications Site in Kyotango, which is equipped with an X-band radar for detecting and tracking ballistic missiles.
One local resident voiced concerns about the failure to notify the city, stating, "Civilian control is being ignored. Japanese and U.S. military organizations are acting independently on the front lines, which is extremely dangerous."
Joint Japan-U.S. training exercises have often been held at the Kyoto Prefecture site in the past, but the Ministry of Defense has usually informed the city and local districts about the content of the drills in advance. This time however, even the Kinki-Chubu Defense Bureau, which has jurisdiction over the area, was unaware of the exercise -- an unusual state of affairs.
Kyotango Deputy Mayor Kazuyoshi Nakanishi pointed out during the meeting that a post on the communications site's Facebook page on July 16 showcased the joint training between the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 7th Infantry Regiment from the Kyoto Prefecture city of Fukuchiyama and the U.S. military. He urged the Defense Ministry to "properly inform the city and local residents about training exercises without fail."
In response, the Kinki-Chubu Defense Bureau apologized, stating, "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused. We will ensure that information is provided to the city and local districts in the future." However, it also stated, "We do not have any information that we can explain."
The Facebook post stated that U.S. soldiers and SDF members "conducted a comprehensive exercise as a part of a FTX (Field Training Exercise)," which "consisted of various scenarios, which contributes to our bilateral success as a combined military force."
One resident near the communications site expressed their concerns, stating, "The most serious issue is that the joint Japan-U.S. exercise was conducted on the front lines without (Japanese) defense authorities being informed. This is a grave situation. Conducting drills without defense authorities' knowledge is unacceptable under civilian control. I want the facts to be thoroughly investigated and publicly released."
According to a resident who witnessed the training near the site, the exercise was conducted July 10.
(Japanese original by Toshio Shioda, Maizuru Local Bureau)
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