May 19, 2015

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Yamashita Yoshiki on May 18 said to reporters that the planned deployment of Ospreys to the Yokota base in Tokyo should be cancelled, following a recent Osprey crash in Hawaii.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey on May 17 crashed at Bellows Air Force Station in Hawaii that killed one marine and injured 21 others on board.

Yamashita noted that the tilt-rotor aircraft Osprey has often been denounced as highly dangerous aircraft and that in Okinawa which already hosts 24 Ospreys, the withdrawal of the Osprey deployment has become a strong public demand. “All the Ospreys should be removed from Okinawa and the Henoko base construction project should be cancelled,” he added.

Regarding the U.S. plan to deploy CV-22 Ospreys to the U.S. Yokota base in Tokyo, the JCP secretariat chief said, “The Abe administration announced the U.S. plan without bothering to enter into negotiations with relevant municipalities and their residents. In addition, it showed reluctance to accept responsibility for ensuring the safety of residents. This represents Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s position which is extremely subservient to the U.S.” He demanded that the government reject the deployment plan.

On the same day, JCP member of the House of Representatives Kokuta Keiji at a House special committee meeting urged Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio to request the U.S. to stop deploying Ospreys to Japan.

Kishida in his reply said that he made a request to the U.S. forces to share information regarding the latest fatal crash and to offer assurances as to the safety of Ospreys.

Objecting to the response of the Foreign Minister, Kokuta pointed out that the government repeatedly declared the tilt-rotor aircraft is safe, but the fatal crash occurred. The government should stop supporting the Osprey deployment to Japan, he demanded.

In the meantime, Okinawa Governor Onaga Takeshi before the press at the prefectural office building expressed his intention to call on the U.S. military to not fly the 24 Ospreys before the causes of the latest accident are determined.

Past related articles:
> US seeks to deploy Ospreys to Yokota Air Base in Tokyo [May 10, 2015]
> US forcibly deploys Ospreys to Futenma base in defiance of Japanese public opposition [October 1 & 2, 2012]