December 2, 2018

Military integration between Japanese troops and U.S. forces is being promoted in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Osprey aircraft flight training drills have also been taking place.

Here is an example: In Saitama Prefecture, at Japan's Air Self-Defense Force Iruma base (Sayama City, Iruma City), JASDF-U.S. joint military training exercises took place between late October and early November. On November 5, Air SDF personnel took part in exercises carrying mock patients (U.S. servicemen) by C-130 transport aircraft from the U.S. Iwakuni base (Yamaguchi Pref.) to the SDF Iruma base.

At the former U.S. military base site adjacent to the Iruma base, an SDF hospital is currently under construction. Iruma citizens are now concerned about the possibility that the hospital may be for not only SDF personnel but also injured U.S. soldiers.

On top of that, MV-22 Ospreys belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma base (Ginowan City, Okinawa Pref.) fly over Saitama airspace and have already conducted several nighttime and low-altitude flight training exercises. According to eyewitnesses, these aircraft fly over almost all areas of Saitama's 63 municipalities. In October of this year, CV-22 Osprey special operations aircraft began being deployed officially to the U.S. Yokota base (Tokyo). Resultantly, the airspace above Saitama will likely be used for further flight training exercises.

Futatsubashi Motonaga, Saitama Peace Committee secretary general, said, "Because CV-22s are special operations aircraft, all their operational details are kept secret. They are missioned to go to overseas battlefields without informing Saitama municipalities and citizens. Our peace committee will work harder to increase public opinion and movements in order to prevent the Saitama skies from becoming a training airspace for 'intrusion into enemy territory'."

Past related articles:
> Ospreys will be officially deployed to US Yokota base in Tokyo in October [August 23 and 24, 2018]
> Armed SDF troops conduct ‘transportation drills’ on public roads [December 18, 2015]