U.S. military resumes Osprey flights in Japan

The U.S. military resumed flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan on Thursday amid lingering concerns over the safety of the tilt-rotor planes following a deadly crash late last year.

The resumption came after Washington last week lifted a worldwide flight ban on the aircraft put in place after a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey transport plane crashed off Kagoshima Prefecture’s Yakushima Island on Nov. 29, killing all eight crew aboard.

The Defense Ministry had said late Wednesday that the U.S. and the Self-Defense Forces would resume flights of the aircraft in Japan.

The allies have been coordinating a resumption of operations in Japan after the worldwide flight ban was lifted Friday. However, the U.S. side has not publicly detailed the exact cause of the November crash, saying only that it was due to a malfunction in a specific component. Tokyo has said that while Washington had identified the cause of the crash, it cannot be made public while the investigation by the U.S. military is ongoing.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government’s top spokesman, told a news conference Thursday that some local governments have “reacted harshly” to plans to resume flights and said the central government will make efforts to dispel local concerns.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki speaks to reporters at the Okinawa prefectural office on Wednesday. | JIJI

This lack of clarity has unnerved some, including local authorities in Okinawa Prefecture, where many U.S. Ospreys are based. The ministry explained the plan to authorities in several prefectures on Wednesday, but opposition has lingered.

"We are totally unconvinced, (and resuming the Osprey flights) is unacceptable," Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said, calling the government's explanation about the incident’s cause “insufficient.”

Masanori Matsugawa, mayor of the Okinawa city of Ginowan — home of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma — said Thursday that the resumption of flights was too soon, according to the Ryukyu Shimpo daily.

Matsugawa said there was no explanation about the cause of the accident from the ministry officials, and that to alleviate concerns, he hopes citizens will soon receive explanations about the cause of the accident and how it has been handled, the report said.

During a call on Wednesday, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. defense chief Lloyd Austin discussed the safety measures undertaken by the two nations following the crash, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.

In the statement, Kihara requested cooperation to ensure that the U.S. investigation of the crash is explained to the Japanese public by the Defense Ministry upon its release.

The statement said the ministers affirmed that flight safety would be a priority and that they will continue the "gradual and cautious progression of Osprey operations in Japan."

Austin said “the safety of U.S. servicemembers and Japanese communities remains a top priority” for Washington, according to a statement released by the Pentagon.

The U.S. Marine Corps' III Marine Expeditionary Force, which is based in Okinawa, said in a press release that it "deemed the aircraft safe to fly based on a meticulous and data-driven approach prioritizing flight worthiness and safety."

In Japan, the U.S. military has deployed 24 MV-22s, used by the U.S. Marine Corps, at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and five CV-22s, used by the U.S. Air Force, at Yokota Air Base in the western suburbs of Tokyo.

Both the U.S. military and the Ground Self-Defense Force, which also grounded its fleet of 14 MV-22 Ospreys following the deadly crash, are planning to take “a phased approach” to recovering their flight skills and implementing safety measures, the Defense Ministry said.

“We have confirmed that we will take the necessary measures and return to duty in stages for the defense of Japan, including the Nansei Islands area,” the ministry said in a statement.

This means the resumption of operations could vary from unit to unit, depending on their mission, operational requirements and the implementation status of various safety measures, the ministry said, adding that Tokyo and Washington “have been coordinating the future course of action while taking these differences into consideration.”

The incident was the first fatal crash of the Osprey in Japan and the deadliest worldwide since the aircraft entered service in 2007.

The GSDF operates its 14 MV-22 Ospreys from its Kisarazu base in Chiba Prefecture. It plans to deploy 17 Ospreys to Saga Airport by July 2025, as part of the nation's island defense strategy.

The aircraft, which combines the features of a helicopter and an airplane, can take off from ships in contingencies and is considered indispensable for deploying troops and supplies to far-flung islands.

Some observers have said the Osprey aircraft would be crucial in the event of any emergency over Taiwan.