NHK reported that although the Defense Ministry was planning as early as this evening to transport SDF personnel to Afghanistan to help evacuate Japanese nationals and local embassy staff, the plane returned to Japan, landing at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido because “necessary preparations could not be made.” According to the network, although the government plane departed from the ASDF’s Komaki Air Base in Aichi in the afternoon, it returned to Japan before 2 p.m. today. The network said the Defense Ministry will continue to explore the possibility of deploying a government plane.