The U.S. Marine Corps started low-altitude training flights for tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft in Shikoku and in Wakayama Prefecture on Wednesday. It is regrettable that the United States notified Japan about the training route only shortly before the flights began.
The training flights, scheduled to end today, are the first to be conducted over the main islands of Japan since the U.S. first deployed the aircraft at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa Island in October over strong local opposition.
It is expected that the U.S. Marine Corps will repeat Osprey training flights every month along various routes over the main islands of Japan. The U.S. should not try to establish faits accomplis of Osprey training flights without providing sufficient information to Japan with regard to such flights.