V-22 Ospreys are returning to the skies over Japan after being grounded in the wake of a tragic mishap of a U.S. Air Force variant off Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture last November, which killed eight members of the Air Force Special Operations Command.
In Japan, there has been an outsized and lingering concern about the aircraft’s safety. That concern is, frankly, misplaced, as the aircraft has a phenomenal safety record, especially in light of its unique and vital missions
Moreover, there is substantial risk if we let perception rather than facts guide conversation around the Osprey.