US masses planes at Japan base in show of readiness

TOKYO: US Air Force transport aircraft yesterday massed at Washington’s key Asian military air transportation hub, Yokota Air Base in Japan, to show potential foes and allies it was ready for action despite the coronavirus emergency.

‘‘It shows both our adversaries as well as our allies in Japan the importance of our placement, the importance of our ability to execute our mission,’’ base vice-commander Colonel Jason Mills said.

US forces are stationed in Japan to defend Washington’s key Asian ally from attack from North Korea, but also to check China’s growing influence in the wider region, including Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.

As Washington tries to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, some officials worry outbreaks in the military may provide fodder for Beijing to question US strength in the region.

‘‘When you’re dealing with Covid19 induced domestic chaos, you just can’t pay as much attention to foreign affairs,’’ said Grant Newsham, a research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and a former US Marine colonel who liaised with Japan’s Self Defence Forces.

In April, US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was forced to dock in Guam after a coronavirus outbreak infected several hundred sailors. Carriers such as Ronald Reagan and others regularly in through Asian waters are among the most conspicuous symbols of US military might.

Yokota has had to quarantine sailors at the base who have tested positive for the virus.

Troops at the base in western Tokyo are under orders to keep a distance from each other and local people and wear face masks. Commanders have also split personnel into shifts to lessen contact.