Japan Coast Guard will stop relying on JMSDF for fixed-wing pilot training

The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that the Japan Coast Guard has decided to train its own fixed-wing pilots instead of sending them to the Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The report says the “JCG plans to purchase training airplanes within the current fiscal year and later start training programs for instructors.”

The service is trying to boost its aerial surveillance capabilities due to an increase in activities around Senkaku Islands and increase in illegal fishing.

However, the bottleneck is the limited amount of training slots available to JCG students at JMSDF schools.