Dual Use and the Future of Yokota Air Base

Publication Date: July 2004

Publisher: Hudson Institute

Author(s):

Research Area: Military and defense; Transportation

Type: Report

Coverage: Japan

Abstract:

This report is structured into eight main chapters: The first, “Background Information,” contains a history of, and basic facts on, Yokota; the second, “Trends in Air Traffic and Tourism,” provides the context in the aviation industry behind calls for introducing commercial flights at Yokota; the third, “Civilian Advantages of Dual Use,” lays out the basic arguments for opening Yokota to dual use; the fourth, “Civilian Disadvantages of Dual Use,” discusses some of the problems involved in converting Yokota to a dual-use facility; the fifth, “Military Advantages and Disadvantages of Dual Use,” explains Yokota’s strategic value, especially in the context of the review of global deployments that the U.S. Department of Defense is currently conducting; the sixth, “Airspace,” describes the debate over the appropriate way to manage Yokota’s airspace as well as alternative solutions to gaining the maximum utility out of Yokota; the seventh, “Alternative Outcomes and Conversion Requirements,” provides past cases of conversion to dual use and describes some of the requirements and processes involved therein; and the eighth, “Conclusion,” sums up the report’s findings. Throughout the report citations are present for open-source material only.