Twenty-two years after Japan promised to build a replacement for Futenma Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Okinawa, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is finally going "full speed ahead" with the so-called Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF). The new airfield will be built on the Marines' Camp Schwab near Henoko in northern Okinawa.Time to celebrate? Not quite. All this former Marine sees is reduced operational capability and squandered opportunities to enhance the Japan-U.S. military relationship -- as Chinese pressure in the region steadily increases. Opportunities to explore…READ FULL ARTICLE
