JAPAN: British Royal airforce plane arrives at U.S. airbase in south Japanese island to support U.S. operations

The U.S. Air Force in Japan dispatched a data-collection aircraft Wednesday (October 11), on high alert since North Korea carried out a nuclear test on Monday. More than six P3C maritime aircrafts and two F16 fighter aircrafts took off from Kadena Air Base on Wednesday morning in Okinawa, Japan, along with other tanker airplanes. Monday's announcement by Pyongyang sharply escalated world concerns over North Korea's nuclear program and was a slap in the face for major regional and world powers engaged in six-party talks intended to prevent just such a test. The United Nation's Security Council discussed a U.S. proposal for tough measures including international inspections of cargo going in and out of North Korea to check for weapons of mass destruction and related materials, diplomats said. Other proposals included a total arms embargo and a freeze on assets associated with Pyongyang's nuclear programme. On the outskirts of Tokyo, a British Royal Airforce data-collection plane landed at Yokota U.S. airbase. Japanese media speculated the plane was on a mission to analyse the skies following Pyongyang's underground atomic test. Also from Britian a Vickers VC10 converted by the Royal Airforce into a refueling aircraft arrived at Kadena on Wednesday. The Royal Airforce has been know to use these planes to refuel U.S. fighters in various combat situations around the globe including during the bombing of Afghanistan in 2001. AIR BASES

ITN Source | October 11, 2006

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