The U.S. military's MV-22 Osprey aircraft has been a lightning rod for opposition to U.S. bases in Japan since 24 of them were deployed to Okinawa in 2014.
By sending eight of the tilt-rotor Ospreys to help with relief efforts for survivors of the recent earthquakes in Kyushu, both U.S. and Japanese military planners have been able to showcase an aircraft they see as necessary for Japan's defense.
When an Osprey set down last week on a sports ground in the village of Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, the first person out was a U.S. Marine Corps photographer taking pictures of Self-Defense Forces personnel unloading supplies. Within hours, the pictures were on social media.
Opposition to U.S. bases in Japan has simmered for years, especially in Okinawa where many people believe the Osprey, which can hover like a helicopter and fly as a fixed wing craft, is prone to crashing. A history of crashes and incidents of malfunction extending back to 1991 have dogged the aircraft, the most recent being a deadly crash in Hawaii in 2015.
Many people in Okinawa say the U.S. military's deployment of the Osprey shows disregard for their feelings. The U.S. military insists the Osprey is safe but nevertheless agreed in 2012 to curb flights over heavily populated areas.
The death toll in Kyushu stands at 49 to date, and the aircraft has been seen in a new light due to its role in relief efforts, thanks in large part to pictures of it ferrying blankets, food and water to quake survivors posted on the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's Facebook and Twitter feeds.
"We have had no negative reaction," said Col. Romin Dasmalchi, commander of the Okinawa-based unit.
Visits to the unit's social media sites surged by as much as 10 times after it began flying relief supplies, a spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corps said.
Eight Ospreys were assigned to the relief effort because "of the speed and efficiency of the airframe to get into those places where a traditional aircraft could not land," he said.
By the time the U.S. military's relief mission ended Sunday, its posts had earned more than 230,000 hits, compared with a normal rate of 10,000 to 50,000. While the publicity is unlikely to placate opponents of U.S. bases, it should improve the Osprey's image.
The deployment has also given the SDF a chance to see how the Osprey fits with its equipment. Japan ordered five Ospreys last year, making it the first foreign force to buy it.
"The more exposure you get to any weapon system aircraft I think the better it is going to be," Dasmalchi said.
Japan's Ospreys will be based in Kyushu starting around 2019, near a new unit of the Ground Self-Defense Force that represents the spearhead of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to give the SDF a global security role and make it more mobile and expeditionary.
After leaving Minamiaso on Friday, the Osprey flew to the Hyuga, the first in a new class of Japanese helicopter carriers also aimed to help the SDF extend its military reach beyond home waters.
Maritime Self-Defense Force officers were given a brief tour of the aircraft before it was loaded with water, chicken curry and beef with rice, and topped off with fuel, for another trip back to hungry quake survivors.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.