12 Ospreys scheduled to arrive in Iwakuni on Monday
TOKYO —
The first 12 of 24 MV-22 Osprey aircraft from the U.S. are scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Iwakuni air base in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Monday, the Japanese government said Thursday.
The U.S. plan to deploy its first Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan, despite strong opposition from residents in Iwakuni and Okinawa—where the Osprey are bound for—over safety issues following two recent crashes.
The Ospreys arriving on Monday will be assembled and tested at Iwakuni before being deployed to the Futenma base at Okinawa, where they will replace the Marines’ aging CH-46 helicopters.
A Yamaguchi prefectural government official in charge of Iwakuni base affairs said the prefecture opposes the deployment unless the safety of the Ospreys can be ensured.
Okinawa Gov Hirokazu Nakaima has also said the planned deployment is unacceptable. Local approval is not essential for the project to go ahead, but the fracas is proving to be a thorn in the side for Tokyo.
An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashed in June, injuring all five airmen aboard during a training mission at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. The Morocco crash, in April, left two Marines dead.
Because of the local concerns, no flight operations will be conducted in Japan until the results of the crash investigations by the Department of Defense are presented to the Tokyo government, which it expects to do in August.
The Pentagon said Osprey flights will continue as usual elsewhere and expressed confidence that Japan’s report will be positive.
“The MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record,” it said in a statement. “Basing the Osprey in Okinawa will significantly strengthen the United States’ ability to provide for the defense of Japan, perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and fulfill other alliance roles.”
The $70 million Osprey is the U.S. military’s latest-generation transport aircraft. The Air Force and Marines operate a total of about 110 of them.
The aircraft combines airplane-like wings with rotors that allow it to take off and land like a helicopter. Its engines roll forward in flight, allowing it to fly twice as fast as a standard helicopter.
Japan Today/AP
Order by Time Order by Popularity
5 Comments
Login to comment
1
Tom Webb
Maybe Tokyo can build a US airbase on Senkaku Islands and move the Marines and the Osprey from Okinawa main island.
-1
Crystalyle
Woohoo. Those planes are awesome.
0
Tiger_In_The_Hermitage
Can't do that Tom Webb, those islands are right next to Taiwan (US might fire at their friends the Taiwanese) and the size of 4 football fields. Plus we need to sort out the dispute first, in a civilized Asian manner. None of the kill kill kill thing that US promotes, no on it also promotes free free free and rights rights rights. Rights for whom? People of Okinawa / People of Japan?
0
kazetsukai
Nice to have the forum start with something more positive than negative, highly opinionated criticisms which tends to dominate these discussions.
Since the deployment of Ospreys are the only options the USA and Japan has at this time... how about some positive ways to describe what it can do for Japan and what can Japan do to prevent any disasters?
As we all know, US military transports flew just as many or more flights to the 3/11 disaster areas as did the JSDF and continue to fly there with supplies even today.
Now with Ospreys, the task of providing such aid is much improved. With vertical take-off and landing capability and a larger capacity for cargo, the Osprey will probably be "appreciated" by all Japanese when another major disaster strikes and the bus, train or helicopter cannot do enough. We know for sure that the US military will be there to assist in any upcoming disasters.
1
YuriOtani
While it is faster true, it is also more unstable in hover. Not what is needed in rescue operations. The old CH-46 and CH-47 is much more suitable for humiliation operations. Try and think what it is like to be under a hovering Osprey? The exhaust of the 2 engines is directly down on the ground pushed down by the overhead rotors. Special flight decks need to be put on ships.
If Japan needs to move people or material to Okinawa transport aircraft are quicker. I would favor C-130 flight ops and if need be can drop clearing equipment to make a airport operation again.
Back to top