A senior U.S. defense official indicated Wednesday that Washington will promptly inform Tokyo of the results of its investigation into a fatal accident in Morocco involving an MV-22 Osprey transport plane, according to Hideo Jinpu, parliamentary vice defense minister.
The U.S. is considering deploying the Osprey in Okinawa.
In talks at the Pentagon with James Miller, acting undersecretary of defense, Jinpu relayed the strong safety concerns felt by Okinawa residents and suggested that a detailed explanation by the United States about the April 11 accident is necessary.
The Osprey, which can take off and land vertically, could be deployed at the Futenma air station as early as July, according to sources close to bilateral ties.
Okinawa residents and officials are concerned about the noise and safety of the aircraft. The Osprey suffered several fatal crashes during test flights.
In the latest incident, an MV-22 crashed during a joint drill with Moroccan forces April 11, killing two marines and injuring two.