US forces in Japan resume Osprey flights despite safety concerns

By Anadolu staff

US forces in Japan resumed Osprey aircraft flights on Thursday despite safety concerns of the military planes following a crash late last year, Kyodo news reported.

Washington lifted a worldwide flight ban on the tilt-rotor military planes after a fatal crash in southern Japan last November, killing all eight crew aboard.

Some Ospreys' engines started at around 8:30 a.m. local time (2330GMT Wednesday) at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, with the aircraft beginning to take off from around 8.50 a.m.

The US military has deployed 24 MV-22s, used by the Marine Corps, at the Futenma air station, and five CV-22s, used by the Air Force, at the Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.

Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara spoke to his US counterpart Lloyd Austin over phone on Wednesday and confirmed that they will “carefully proceed with the resumption of flight operations of V-22 Osprey aircraft in Japan in a phased manner in close cooperation between both countries after implementing safety measures that the U.S. side presented this time, while ensuring that flight safety remains a top priority,” according to a readout.

​​​​​​​The US side has not revealed what led to the deadly crash in November.

Kihara also asked for the US side’s cooperation to better inform the Japanese public of the content of US accident investigation report upon its release.

Government officials explained on Wednesday the plan to fly Ospreys again in Japan as early as Thursday to local authorities in several provinces, but faced strong opposition due to a continuing lack of information about the accident's cause.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid