Japan Press Weekly

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2024 August 28 - September 3 [US FORCES]

Peace group in Yamaguchi calls for cancellation of plan to deploy Ospreys to USMC Iwakuni Base

The Yamaguchi prefectural organization of the Central Action Committee against the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (Anpo-Haki) on August 27 made a representation to the prefectural government, demanding the withdrawal of the prefecture’s decision to accept the planned deployment of U.S. Navy CMV-22 Ospreys to the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Base.

Japanese Communist Party prefectural assemblypersons, Kawai Kiyo and Fujimoto Kazunori, joined in the representation.

In the representation, participants pointed out that the root cause of the November 2023 fatal crash of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey off Kagoshima’s Yakushima Island has yet to be identified. They also pointed out that even the U.S. military itself has doubts about the Osprey’s safety. They urged the prefectural authority to oppose the planned deployment.

A local government official in charge of the base issue said that the national government ensures the tilt-rotor aircraft’s safety, showing a stance to decline considering the request.

Past related article:
> USFJ resumed Osprey flights without identifying cause of fatal crash [August 3, 2024]