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| NAS Atsugi | |
|---|---|
| Name | Naval Air Facility Atsugi |
| Location | Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan |
| Coordinates | 35°25′N 139°26′E |
| Type | Naval air station |
| Controlled by | United States Navy |
| Built | 1940s |
| Used | 1945–present |
| Garrison | Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka |
NAS Atsugi Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a United States naval aviation installation located on Honshu in Kanagawa Prefecture near the cities of Yokosuka, Yokohama, and Tokyo, serving as a forward-deployed element of United States Pacific operations. The base has hosted a variety of aircraft carrier-related squadrons, maritime patrol units, and logistics elements supporting Indo-Pacific commitments and cooperation with Japan Self-Defense Forces, including Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and municipal authorities.
Atsugi sits within a strategic arc that includes Yokosuka Naval Base, Tokyo Bay, Sagami Bay, and proximity to Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, enabling rapid linkage with United States Pacific Fleet, Seventh Fleet, Carrier Strike Group, and trans-Pacific logistics chains that touch Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Diego Garcia. The station’s runways and hangars have supported aircraft types associated with Carrier Air Wing, Electronic Warfare Group, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron, and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron missions tied to regional contingencies such as those involving Korean Peninsula tensions, Taiwan Strait scenarios, and humanitarian responses to events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Its location produces operational interconnections with allied facilities including Andersen Air Force Base, Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Osan Air Base, and Misawa Air Base.
Constructed originally in the 1940s during the Empire of Japan period, the airfield was used by Imperial Japanese Navy aviation units before transfer to United States Forces Japan after World War II. Postwar transformation involved alignment with Occupation of Japan arrangements and the evolving US–Japan Security Treaty framework; units rotated through Atsugi during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War standoffs involving the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China. Throughout the late 20th century, Atsugi hosted opposition to Ospreys debates, bilateral negotiations with Ministry of Defense (Japan), and incidents prompting talks with the Prime Minister of Japan and prefectural governors. The base played roles during crises such as the 1970 Anpo protests legacy environment, the 1995 Okinawa rape incident repercussions for basing policy, and cooperative disaster relief with Japan Self-Defense Forces after natural disasters like the Great Hanshin earthquake and 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Atsugi’s complex comprises multiple runways, hardened hangars, maintenance depots, fuel farms, and support facilities interoperable with U.S. Navy Aircraft Maintenance protocols and Defense Logistics Agency supply chains. On-site infrastructure ties into regional transportation nodes including the Tōkaidō Main Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Kanagawa Prefecture road network, and ports linking to Yokohama Port and Kawasaki Port. Facilities have accommodated aircraft such as the Lockheed P-3 Orion, Boeing P-8 Poseidon, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, and Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, necessitating upgrades aligned with NATO standards-equivalent maintenance, fuel handling, and ordnance storage policies overseen in coordination with Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka and bilateral infrastructure programs involving the Ministry of Defense (Japan).
Over its operational life, Atsugi has hosted squadrons and detachments linked to Carrier Air Wing Five, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronic Attack Squadron, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron, and aviation support elements from Navy Reserve components. Operations have included antisubmarine warfare, maritime patrol, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, flight testing in cooperation with Naval Air Systems Command, and logistics support for Forward-deployed Naval Forces Japan. Deployments and transits have connected Atsugi missions with USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), USS George Washington (CVN-73), USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), USNS Mercy (T-AH-19), and amphibious groups such as USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Training, readiness, and combined exercises have linked Atsugi personnel to multinational events including RIMPAC, Keen Sword, Malabar, and Foal Eagle-era exercises.
Local and regional stakeholders such as the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, municipal councils of Atsugi City, Yokosuka City, and Zama, Kanagawa have engaged with base management over noise, air quality, and land use issues tied to flight operations and ordnance storage. Environmental monitoring has intersected with agencies including Ministry of the Environment (Japan) and United States Environmental Protection Agency standards in response to fuel handling, potential per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances concerns, and ecosystem impacts on nearby coastal zones including Sagami Bay and wetlands. Community relations efforts have involved cultural exchange with institutions such as Atsugi High School, Kanagawa University, Nihon University, and municipal disaster planning with Fire and Disaster Management Agency coordination for mutual aid during typhoons and earthquakes.
Atsugi has been the locus of aircraft mishaps, safety investigations, and diplomatic incidents prompting responses from officials including the United States Ambassador to Japan, Prime Minister of Japan, and prefectural leadership. Notable event categories have included hard landings, ground incidents during aircraft carrier transits, V-22 Osprey-related accidents in the region prompting operational pauses, and community-facing mishaps leading to litigation and bilateral talks. Investigations have been conducted under Naval Criminal Investigative Service protocols and aviation safety boards with corrective measures coordinated with Japan Coast Guard search-and-rescue assets and local emergency services.
Category:Installations of the United States Navy in Japan Category:Military airbases in Kanagawa Prefecture