TOKYO, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Japanese and U.S. officials are in the final stages of negotiations to conduct fighter jet exercises in Guam in December, officials say.
The U.S. fighter jets, which will be conducting takeoff and landing exercises, are currently based at the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday.
About 20 FA-18 fighter jets will conduct exercises at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Japan will be covering three-quarters of the cost of fuel and other expenses needed for the jets to fly in Guam, the proposal states.
The exercises were originally scheduled to take place in Okinawa Prefecture but are being moved to Guam to reduce noise levels around Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.
The move is an attempt to lower the burden on Okinawa residents of hosting U.S. bases, in an effort to gain cooperation of the prefectural government, the report said.
Officials from Tokyo are negotiating with Washington to temporarily move all exercises at Kadena Air Base to Guam from the beginning of 2012, as local residents are aggravated by the noise of military planes.
