Defection of Viktor Belenko

Belenko's defection caused tension between Japan and the Soviet Union, especially after Japanese and American specialists disassembled and examined the aircraft.

Belenko was granted political asylum in and later citizenship of the US, where he became a military consultant, public speaker, and businessman.

The infrastructure in the base was severely lacking, the troops' morale was low, and when Belenko made suggestions, he was only derided by the political officer.

Belenko's map of Hokkaido had shown only Chitose Air Base, and he had planned to land there.

However, the weather was very cloudy and the Japanese ground radar was not able to adequately track Belenko's aircraft.

With fuel running low and needing to land quickly, he finally located Hakodate Airport, in southern Hokkaido.

Belenko was arrested by Hokkaido police for violating Japanese airspace and firearms offenses.

Japanese fishing vessels were seized and their crews imprisoned in what was thought to be retaliation for Japan not returning Belenko and not sending the MiG back promptly.

After the MiG landed 200 troops deployed to Hakodate Airport with Type 61 tanks and 35mm L-90 anti-aircraft weapons along with men of the 28th Light Infantry Regiment.

Inspecting it closely at a small civilian airport was impractical and it was too large to be moved by Japanese aircraft.

When Belenko left his base on September 6, he had brought a training manual for the aircraft, expecting that he would be demonstrating it to the US Air Force.

Eventually, it was packed up into around 40 boxes and on November 15, it was shipped from Hitachi in Ibaraki to the Soviet Union.

Viktor Belenko moved to the US, was debriefed extensively by the CIA and US military, learned English, and gradually adapted to life in the US.

The story of his life in the Soviet Union, his defection and his early time in the US was written by John Barron in the book MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lieutenant Belenko, published in 1980.

The Soviet government was extremely displeased with the situation and sent Japan a demand for $10 million for the damage to the plane.

Belenko's flight had been a defection and not an attack but had highlighted shortcomings in Japan's air defense system.

They immediately decided to improve conditions, and built a five-story government building, school, kindergarten, and other facilities.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was also operated by the successor states Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.