Japan to send 2 defense force planes for possible Mideast airlift

Japan will send two Self-Defense Forces airplanes to East Africa for a possible operation to evacuate its nationals from the Middle East, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Thursday, amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.Nakatani told reporters that two C-2 transport aircraft with a total of about 120 crew members will fly to an SDF base in Djibouti and be on standby there, following a request from Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya earlier that day.The planes are likely to leave Japan on Saturday, sources familiar with the matter said."The situation in the Middle East has become more strain…READ FULL ARTICLE