But Timothy Robert, operations officer of the Marine Forces Pacific for policy review initiative planning group, noted that Washington and Tokyo are coping with economic challenges.
“Right now everything is still on track but the future is unknown,” he said during a break at the ongoing three-day 2011 Pacific Aviation Directors Workshop at the Fiesta Resort & Spa.
He said all negotiations and talks related to the buildup on Guam are moving as scheduled.
“The meetings are taking place and we’re prepared to move forward,” he added.
Japan is paying 60 percent of the buildup which involves relocating some 8,600 U.S. Marines and their over 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan to Guam starting 2012.
Japan and the U.S., which agreed to realign their forces in 2006, estimate they’ll spend at least $10 billion to finance buildup projects on Guam and a spillover on the CNMI’s third largest island, Tinian.
But Robert said current cost analysis indicates the U.S. will spend more than what was previously anticipated.
“Essentially, the U.S. would be shouldering more costs for this,” he said.
At least $1 billion has been identified by Japan and the U.S. to finance buildup projects on Guam since the Record of Decision — the document authorizing the awarding of construction projects — was signed late last year.
An additional $1 billion has been pledged for the incoming fiscal year.
