Japan Press Weekly

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2018 April 25 - May 8 [US FORCES]

US fighter and Ospreys make emergency landings within just two days

A stealth fighter stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni base on April 24 made an emergency landing at a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base in Fukuoka Prefecture. On the following day, two MV-22 Ospreys based at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma base made emergency landings at a civilian airport on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The Defense Ministry’s local bureau in the Kyushu region made public that the emergency landing by the U.S. fighter happened at the ASDF Tsuiki air base and that this is the first time that this type of aircraft was forced to land outside U.S. military facilities in Japan.

The F-35B is the most advanced stealth fighter jet with short takeoff and vertical landing capability. The U.S. Marine Corps conducts operational flights of the aircraft on amphibious assault vessels. In January 2017, the U.S. forces in Japan began deploying 16 F-35s to its Iwakuni base (Yamaguchi Prefecture). This aircraft took part in the latest U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

The news of the Osprey emergency landing was announced by the Kagoshima Prefectural government. According to the prefecture, on April 25 at around 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., two U.S. Marine Corps Ospreys made emergency landings one after another.

Emergency landings by MV-22s were made at various locations across Japan, such as Oita Airport (Oita Prefecture) and Iejima island (Okinawa Prefecture). At Amami Airport where the latest emergency landing was made, an Osprey made another emergency landing there in June last year.

Past related articles:
> MV22 makes emergency landing in Okinawa, bringing dangerous Ospreys into spotlight yet again [October 1, 2017]
> Osprey emits unreported smoke the day before its emergency landing [August 31 & September 1, 2017]
> MV-22 Ospreys make 2 emergency landings within a week [June 8 and 13, 2017]