Japan-US joint exercise ‘Keen Sword 27’ to utilize multiple airports and ports

The upcoming Japan-US joint military exercise, ‘Keen Sword 27’, scheduled to begin on October 19, will utilize at least six airports and 14 ports across Japan for ammunition, unit, and supply transport training. According to Ministry of Defense information, several facilities are being designated as ‘specific use airports and ports’ to allow the Self-Defense Forces to utilize them for military purposes during peacetime.

Specific locations identified for use include airports in Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, Fukue, Oita, Miyazaki, and Tokunoshima. Port facilities in Hokkaido, Miyagi, Aichi, Kochi, Kagoshima, and various locations in the Amami islands are also involved. In Kagoshima, officials are coordinating the use of airports in Amami, Tanegashima, and Okinoerabu.

In Akita Prefecture, the local government has decided not to hold public briefing sessions or solicit public comments regarding the designation of local airports and ports for these specific uses. Officials stated that the designation operates within existing legal frameworks and will not turn these facilities into permanent military bases or stations for fighter jets. However, this decision has faced opposition from some prefectural assembly members.