July 3, 2024

U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey aircraft deployed to the U.S. Yokota Air Base (Tokyo) on July 2 returned to flights without prior notice to municipalities that host the Yokota base.

The U.S. military in December last year grounded all Ospreys following the fatal crash of a CV-22 Osprey stationed at the Yokota base off Kagoshima’s Yakushima Island at the end of November last year.

Japanese Communis Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira at a press conference in the Diet building said that the resumption of CV-22 flights is totally unacceptable. He demanded that the U.S. military halt CV-22 Ospreys flights in Japan.

Koike pointed out, “The Defense Ministry said that it received an explanation from the U.S. forces in Japan regarding the cause of the November crash. However, no explanation was given to the Diet and the general public.”

He continued to point out, “The U.S. military, while claiming that it has already taken safety measures, failed to disclose information about the measures, which is unacceptable.” He said, “Flights of Ospreys should not be allowed in Japan. The JCP will strongly demand that Osprey flights be suspended immediately and those aircraft be removed from Japan.”

Past related articles:
> JCP Policy Commission Chair: Ospreys should be removed, not just grounded [December 8 & 9, 2023]
> US Osprey crashes into waters off Kagoshima, first fatal accident in Japan [November 30 & December 1, 2023]