August 4 & 6, 2013
On August 3, in accordance with the departure of additional MV22 Ospreys from the U.S. Iwakuni base (Yamaguchi Pref.), at which the aircraft were unloaded, to the U.S. Futenma base (Okinawa Pref.), about 350 people urgently held a protest rally in front of the Nodake Gate of the Futenma base.
Along with the 12 MV22s deployed to the Futenma base in October 2012, the number of the aircraft at the base will increase to 24.
Ashitomi Hiroshi, representative of the anti-U.S. Heliport council, expressed his determination to help wage a widespread protest against the deployment. Shimada Zenji, leader of the plaintiffs in the Futenma base noise pollution lawsuit, said, “We will increase our efforts to abolish the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and block Okinawa from continuing to be used as a permanent forward attack base of operations for the U.S. military.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken and independent Upper House member Itokazu Keiko also criticized the deployment for ignoring the strong opposition of all municipalities in the prefecture representing the opposition of more than 80% of the people in Okinawa.
When the additional Ospreys arrived at the Iwakuni base on July 30, the Defense Ministry announced that the aircraft will be transported to Okinawa after finishing their one-week maintenance and test flights. The U.S. Marine Corps, however, forcibly moved the Ospreys just four days after their arrival.
Another six helipads
It has come to light that six new helipads were constructed at the Iejima Auxiliary airport (Ie Village, Okinawa Pref.) for the purpose of conducting Osprey landing training.
The U.S.M.C. Headquarters in Okinawa in reply to an Akahata inquiry admitted that the six helipads are for the Ospreys.
The helipads are built using various types of materials, which indicates that the U.S.M.C. will conduct training exercises based on a simulation of invasion of countries when Ospreys may need to land on amphibious assault warships as well as takeoff from and land on irregular terrain.
Along with the 12 MV22s deployed to the Futenma base in October 2012, the number of the aircraft at the base will increase to 24.
Ashitomi Hiroshi, representative of the anti-U.S. Heliport council, expressed his determination to help wage a widespread protest against the deployment. Shimada Zenji, leader of the plaintiffs in the Futenma base noise pollution lawsuit, said, “We will increase our efforts to abolish the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and block Okinawa from continuing to be used as a permanent forward attack base of operations for the U.S. military.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken and independent Upper House member Itokazu Keiko also criticized the deployment for ignoring the strong opposition of all municipalities in the prefecture representing the opposition of more than 80% of the people in Okinawa.
When the additional Ospreys arrived at the Iwakuni base on July 30, the Defense Ministry announced that the aircraft will be transported to Okinawa after finishing their one-week maintenance and test flights. The U.S. Marine Corps, however, forcibly moved the Ospreys just four days after their arrival.
Another six helipads
It has come to light that six new helipads were constructed at the Iejima Auxiliary airport (Ie Village, Okinawa Pref.) for the purpose of conducting Osprey landing training.
The U.S.M.C. Headquarters in Okinawa in reply to an Akahata inquiry admitted that the six helipads are for the Ospreys.
The helipads are built using various types of materials, which indicates that the U.S.M.C. will conduct training exercises based on a simulation of invasion of countries when Ospreys may need to land on amphibious assault warships as well as takeoff from and land on irregular terrain.
