NAVAL AIR FACILITY MISAWA, Japan -- Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, visited Naval Air Facility
(NAF) Misawa and Misawa Air Base to view U.S. Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities during an
official tour July 23.
Rear Adm. Kazuki Yamashita, Director, Japan Maritime Self-
Defense Force (JMSDF) General Operations and Plans, and Rear
Adm. Umio Otsuka, Director, JMSDF Command, Control, and
Intelligence, accompanied Kraft during the tour.
The visitors were met by Capt. Keith Henry, Commander, NAF
Misawa, and Capt. David Wright, Deputy Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 72 before a short tour of the CTF-72 facility.
Kraft, Yamashita, and Otsuka then met with Air Force Col.
Timothy Sundvall, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing (FW), before
viewing a U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial
vehicle. Maj. Daniel Moran, stationed with the 35th FW, explained
Global Hawk’s functions and capabilities to the guests.
Following the Global Hawk tour, Kraft and his JMSDF guests met
with other senior Japan Self-Defense Force and U.S. leaders at
the Misawa Air Base Officer’s Club.
The tour continued with a visit to one of Patrol Squadron (VP)
5’s P-8A Poseidons, the U.S. Navy’s long-range anti-submarine
warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance aircraft. "This visit provided a great
opportunity to showcase the U.S. Navy's newest ISR capabilities
to a joint group of Japanese Self Defense Force personnel," said
Kraft.
The tour concluded with a flight aboard the P-8A to showcase the
Navy’s newest maritime patrol aircraft and give our allies a
first-hand look at how it performs.
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