U.S. aircraft transfer to Iwakuni begins under realignment plan

Five E-2D early warning aircraft arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Wednesday, the first batch of a phased transfer of the U.S. Navy's carrier air wing from the Atsugi base under a realignment plan for U.S. forces in Japan.The E-2D Hawkeyes, equipped with advanced radar and satellite communications systems, are among 61 aircraft that will be moved from Atsugi by May next year, making Iwakuni one of the largest U.S. air bases in East Asia.The relocation plan is part of an accord reached by Tokyo and Washington in 2006 on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan that also involves …READ FULL ARTICLE