Explosive ordnance disposal specialists on Tuesday destroyed a World War II-era white phosphorous grenade discovered at Yokota AB, Japan, during construction on the east side of the base. They disposed of the unexploded ordnance via a controlled detonation. “Safety was paramount for us in responding to today’s events,” said Col. Bill Knight, 374th Airlift Wing commander. Construction workers found the UXO on Monday, according to Yokota officials. Base officials established a safety cordon and requested assistance from a Navy EOD team from Yokosuka, southeast of the base. The Navy team brought the UXO to a secure location on Yokota’s flight line before destroying it. This is the second UXO discovered and detonated at Yokota since December. The phosphorus grenade was significantly smaller in comparison and therefore had minimal impact on base residents and operations, said Yokota officials. (Yokota release)
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…