It's the U.S. military's turn to express concern over Henoko base project
Finally, according to Okinawan and Japanese media outlets, on November 7, 2023, responding to reporters' questions, a top official of the U.S. military in Okinawa expressed the military's concerns over the operability of the Henoko base due to the extremely soft seafloor on which the base is being constructed. The official also expressed that the U.S. military would like to continue to use the Futenma Air Station because of operational deficiencies that the Henoko base (even if completed) will have. Most notably among deficiencies, the runways of the Henoko base, which will be 1,800 meters, are too short for the military's intended operations. The official also expressed concerns that the target date of completion, 2037, was calculated without considering delays due to weather conditions (read typhoons). Regrettably, the official did not comment on furhter environmental destruction the seafloor reinforcement work is expected to cause. Image Source: QAB Ryukyu Asahi Bro