Deployment of Osprey Aircraft: Govt Must Make Every Effort to Dispel Residents’ Concerns

Editorial

15:43 JST, July 11, 2025

Even if effective defense equipment is procured, it will be meaningless if the understanding of the local communities where it will be deployed cannot be obtained. The government must do its utmost to dispel the concerns of residents.

The Ground Self-Defense Force has opened Camp Saga next to Saga Airport. It plans to relocate 17 Osprey transport aircraft, which have been temporarily deployed at Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, to Camp Saga by mid-August.

To strengthen the defense system for the Nansei Islands, the government deployed the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, which is tasked with recapturing remote islands, to Camp Ainoura in Nagasaki Prefecture in 2018.

The plan was to deploy Ospreys to Camp Saga, which is close to Camp Ainoura, and use them to transport Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade personnel, but the understanding of the Saga Prefecture side could not be obtained. Therefore, the Ospreys were sent to Camp Kisarazu as a temporary measure in 2020, and the central government has continued to hold discussions with the Saga prefectural government and other entities.

With the opening of Camp Saga, it can be said that a system has finally been put in place to smoothly implement the operations to retake remote islands.

The U.S.-made Osprey aircraft can fly at higher speeds and has a longer range than conventional helicopters. The aircraft may be used not only for contingency operations, but also for rescue operations in times of disasters. It is hoped that the GSDF will continue training and prepare for emergency situations.

However, there are still many people in Saga Prefecture who have concerns about the deployment of the Osprey aircraft, as accidents involving similar models have continued both in Japan and overseas. In 2023, an Osprey belonging to the U.S. military crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, killing eight personnel.

The U.S. military attributed the accident to a gearbox failure, among other reasons, but how the problem occurred is still unknown.

In the first place, an Osprey has the functions of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. Both the Japanese and U.S. governments must thoroughly strengthen safety measures to ensure that there are no structural problems with the aircraft.

With the worsening security environment, more people have recently come to appreciate the activities of the Self-Defense Forces. However, it is unacceptable that the Defense Ministry and the SDF are poorly handling the issue of the flight operations of fighter aircraft.

The Air Self-Defense Force plans to deploy eight F-35Bs, the most advanced U.S.-made stealth fighter aircraft, to Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture. The ASDF intends to increase the number of F-35Bs to 42 in the future. The aircraft are characterized by their ability to land vertically and are envisioned for use on vessels, such as the Kaga destroyer, which is currently undergoing repairs to fix its decks.

The ASDF initially told residents near Nyutabaru Air Base that, in principle, the aircraft would not perform vertical landings. However, in February this year, it changed its explanation to say the aircraft would do so about 100 times a month. It said that as vertical landings take time, the noise would be heard for some time.

In response to opposition from the residents, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani apologized and said new measures would be taken. The defense minister himself should visit the area and try to explain the situation.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 11, 2025)