The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps pledged Thursday to keep MV-22 Osprey flights over densely populated areas of Japan to a minimum amid the strong safety concerns over the tilt-rotor aircraft's planned deployment to Okinawa.
"It is my intent that marine Osprey pilots will make every effort to minimize flying over heavily populated areas in Japan," Gen. James Amos said in a statement.
Amid strong local resistance, the United States plans to begin full operations of the transport aircraft in early October at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in a crowded neighborhood of Ginowan, Okinawa.