Japan unveils plan to develop Mage Island into FCLP for CVW 5 and JSDF F-35Bs
The Japanese government has unveiled its plan on how to develop Mage Island, off Kagoshima Prefecture, into a Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) facility for Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5) of the U.S. Navy and Japanese F-35Bs.
Tokyo will pay $151 million to the owner of the island and an environment impact assessment will be carried out this fall.
There will be two runways, a hangar, and a fuel facility at the base. The main runway is about 8,00 feet long, and the secondary is about 6,000 feet long. About 150 to 200 Self Defense Force personnel are to be stationed there. Construction will take 4 years.
The base will be resupplied by JGSDF MV-22s.
Currently, U.S. Navy pilots practise simulated aircraft carrier landings at the FCLP at Iwo Jima, which is 1,400km from their base in MCAS Iwakuni.
The new FCLP at Mage will be cut the distance down to 400km.
