海保無人機拠点、北九州空港移転　青森から２４年度末までに、政府方針

　海上保安庁の無人航空機「シーガーディアン」の拠点について、政府が２０２４年度末までに現在の海上自衛隊八戸航空基地（青森県八戸市）から北九州空港に移す方針を固めたことが２０日、政府関係者への取材でわかった。今後、移転先の決定に向け調整を進める。
　海保は２２年１０月から不審船などへの警戒監視を目的として、八戸基地を拠点に同機１機の運用を始め、現在３機が配備されている。基地の借用期限が２４年度末に終了するため拠点を移す必要があり、来年度予算概算要求で移転費用として１５億９０００万円を計上したが、移転先は「未定」としていた。（2023/11/20-19:56）

The Japanese government plans to relocate the base for unmanned coast guard aircraft from Aomori Prefecture to Fukuoka Prefecture by the end of fiscal 2024, informed sources said Monday.
   The Japan Coast Guard has been using the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hachinohe air base in the northeastern prefecture since October 2020 as the Sea Guardian surveillance drones' home.
   But it is necessary to move the currently three unmanned aircraft because their Hachinohe base lease term ends on March 31, 2025. The government has already made a budget request of 1.59 billion yen for the relocation for the next fiscal year starting in April without specifying the destination.
   According to people familiar with the matter, the new base for the drones would be Kitakyushu Airport, built on an artificial island in the southwestern prefecture, where they can take off and land around-the-clock. The government will start talks with parties concerned to realize the relocation.
   The airport hosts the JCG's air station that served as a temporary base for the Sea Guardians during the Hiroshima summit of the Group of Seven major democracies in May.