TOKYO: The Japanese government plans to designate five airports and 11 ports in the country as facilities that can be used by the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard in ordinary times, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

The facilities include Kitakyushu Airport in Fukuoka Prefecture, Naha Airport in Okinawa Prefecture, Kushiro Port in Hokkaido and Ishigaki Port in Okinawa.

In 2022, the government pledged to promote the development of public infrastructure for the protection of civilians, training during peacetime and smooth use and deployment in times of emergencies.

The 16 airports and ports are envisaged to be used as hubs for dealing with ballistic missile launches and terrorist attacks against ships, as well as monitoring nearby waters. They will also be used in times of natural disasters for evacuating residents of remote islands and dispatching rescue units.

The facilities are slated to undergo improvements such as extending runways to allow takeoffs and landings of large transport aircraft and constructing quays to enable dockings by large SDF vessels.

Facility operators, such as local governments, have agreed to make efforts to allow the SDF and the JCG to use the facilities flexibly and promptly if there is high urgency and there are reasonable grounds for using them.

JIJI Press