Japan Plans To Buy Uninhabited Island For US Military Exercises - Reports

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published January 09, 2019 | 05:13 PM

The Japanese government plans to acquire the uninhabited island of Mageshima to host drills that train US jets to land on aircraft carriers, local media reported on Wednesday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th January, 2019) The Japanese government plans to acquire the uninhabited island of Mageshima to host drills that train US jets to land on aircraft carriers, local media reported on Wednesday.

Mageshima, which is part of the Satsunan Islands, is located in the Japan's southern Kagoshima Prefecture. Its area covers over 8 square kilometers (3 square miles).

The island has two old runways that go through its territory.

Tokyo is engaged in talks with a private developer to acquire the island. The deal could be worth some 16 billion Yen ($146 million), according to the Kyodo news agency.

According to earlier media reports, the United States will relocate military exercises involving its MV-22 Osprey aircraft from Okinawa Island. Local residents have long been opposing the use of the aircraft on the island due to numerous accidents involving Ospreys.