EXCLUSIVE: Japan, S. Korea Mulling Regular Aircraft Refueling Support

Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese and South Korean defense authorities are considering making Japanese refueling support for South Korean military aircraft a regular arrangement, people familiar with the matter told Jiji Press on Thursday. The measure is expected to be discussed when Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visits South Korea possibly later this month for talks with his counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back. The move comes after the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force provided refueling support to the South Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic demonstration team in January. The Black Eagles have previously refueled in Taiwan when attending foreign air shows, but the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung asked Japan for the support so as not to upset China. Although Tokyo accepted the request, the initial refueling operation was canceled last November after the South Korean plane slated to receive Japanese support was found to have been flying near Takeshima, an island in the Sea of Japan under the effective control of South Korea but claimed by Japan. The refueling support was later provided in January at the ASDF’s Naha Air Base in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa. South Korean news agency News1 reported on June 10 that the Black Eagles will participate in an air show in the Czech Republic in September. Seoul hopes to continue receiving Japanese refueling aid in overseas missions, and efforts to regularize support are aimed at fostering a framework for cooperation amid improving Japan-South Korea relations. Tokyo has long sought to conclude an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, with Seoul, which would facilitate the reciprocal provision of fuel and munitions. The agreement would streamline procedures for providing aircraft refueling support, and South Korean defense authorities understand the importance of such a deal. However, Lee told a press conference on June 8 that, although an ACSA is practically necessary, public sentiment in South Korea makes it difficult to conclude it with Japan. As a result, Japanese officials think that talks on an ACSA are not expected to progress for the time being. The Japanese government hopes to highlight the importance of bilateral security cooperation through a series of individual initiatives, rather than directly pursuing an ACSA. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]