Japan Positions Osprey Fleet to Kyushu
(MENAFN) On Wednesday, Japan positioned its fleet of V-22 Osprey transport aircraft on Kyushu, its southwestern island near Taiwan, in direct response to China’s “increasing military ambitions,” media reported.
The initial Osprey was relocated to the newly established Camp Saga base from Camp Kisarazu, situated in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba emphasized the strategic significance of the Osprey deployment in Saga during a campaign speech ahead of the July 20 upper house elections.
"Japan's safety and readiness for disaster relief will be much more enhanced," Ishiba declared on Wednesday.
This aircraft transfer signals Tokyo’s push to bolster its defense across the southwestern Nansei island chain, a vital area due to its close proximity to Taiwan—an island Beijing claims as its breakaway province.
Japan plans to relocate the remaining 16 Ospreys from Chiba to Saga by mid-August.
The move sparked protests outside the new base, where demonstrators brandished banners demanding the full removal of Ospreys over safety fears.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana assured, Japan will "seriously listen to the locals' voices and provide detailed explanation, including safety information."
This deployment follows a deadly accident last November, when eight personnel aboard a CV-22 transport aircraft perished during a routine exercise off Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan.
Since 1991, there have been 63 reported incidents involving Osprey variants, with 16 V-22 aircraft destroyed beyond repair and a total of 62 fatalities.
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