A Japanese government mission left for the United States on Monday to verify the safety of the Osprey transport aircraft in response to mounting public concerns in Japan over the deployment of the controversial military aircraft.
The team headed by Parliamentary Vice-Defense Minister Hideo Jinpu is to be briefed by U.S. officials on the crash of an MV-22 Osprey in Morocco in April that killed two Marines and seriously injured two others. The panel includes members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Transport Ministry.
Jinpu says the team will try to find out whether structural problems, pilot error, or other factors are behind the recent Osprey accidents, and will verify the findings after returning to Japan. He says the verification process will take about one week. The U.S. side is expected to maintain its stance that the crash was caused by human error and not a mechanical problem, Japanese media reported.
The team will visit a Marine Corps base in the United States to watch an Osprey simulation drill that shows how to respond if the engine stops suddenly or an emergency occurs. The Japanese government says it will swiftly complete its own assessment on the accident to share it with Okinawa.
The United States plans to deploy MV-22 Ospreys at its Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa to replace aging CH-46 helicopters. Twelve Ospreys arrived in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture, last month for test flights before being deployed in Okinawa. Marines also plan to conduct flight training on several courses in other parts of Japan.
The deployment plan faced stiff opposition from residents of Okinawa, and prefectural officials supported by heads of local bodies have joined the protests. Osprey accidents, including the fatal crash in Morocco and another in the U.S. state of Florida this year, have heightened public concerns in Japan, a staunch U.S. ally in the Asia-Pacific, which hosts around 50,000 U.S. soldiers on its soil.
Earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta assured Japan's Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto that no flights would be conducted in Japan until the aircraft's safety is confirmed. He also promised to swiftly provide an official report on the Osprey accidents. But he indicated that there would be no change in plans to begin the deployment in Okinawa in October.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Political News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.