By Efe Ozkan
ISTANBUL (AA) - US forces on Monday announced a temporary grounding of V-22 Osprey aircraft and its variants due to safety concerns.
The Naval Air Systems Command again proposed on Friday to pause Osprey flights “out of an abundance of caution.”
Following the recommendation, the US Defense Department notified Japan of the situation and the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps confirmed the Osprey grounding, according to Kyodo News.
"The Marine Corps has decided to implement a 96-hour operational pause for nonessential flight operations" starting Friday, a spokesperson said, adding that the suspension "will give us time to determine if any additional measures are necessary to ensure the continued safety and effectiveness of this critical capability."
These precautions come as eight people aboard the CV-22 transport aircraft died after it crashed during a routine exercise on Nov. 29 last year, off the coast of Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan.
Since 1991, 63 incidents are recorded to have taken place involving Osprey variants, where 16 V-22 Ospreys have been damaged beyond repair in accidents that have killed a total of 62 people, according to the Aviation Safety Network Database.