U.S. unveils plan to operate VTOL aircraft in Japan+

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 Kyodo -
The Pentagon said Thursday that it plans to operate the V-22 Osprey, a vertical
takeoff and landing aircraft, at U.S. bases in Japan, officially acknowledging
the deployment for the first time.
''We anticipate that Ospreys will indeed operate in Japan. And we've told the
Japanese government as much, where and when and how are things to be
determined,'' Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference.
Morrell said that the Osprey is ''an incredibly effective form of airlift that
will enhance our alliance capabilities.'' He did not specify when the aircraft
will be introduced in Japan, only saying ''at some point.''
According to sources close to the matter, the United States aims to deploy the
Ospreys at the planned replacement facility for the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma
Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture.
But the plan is likely to draw fire from residents of the prefecture due to
safety concerns, as a number of people were killed during the aircraft's test
flights.
The deployment could affect the relocation plan for the Futenma base by causing
a change in flight routes at the new facility.
The Japanese government, fearing opposition from people in Okinawa, has not
officially acknowledged the U.S. deployment plan. The U.S. Marines are set to
deploy Ospreys at the current Futenma airstrip in 2012 at the earliest.
In Tokyo on Friday, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told reporters that any
potential Osprey deployment would follow the established trend of U.S. military
deployments.
''We are exchanging opinions at the working level on that assumption (of Osprey
deployment),'' Kitazawa said, adding that the United States has not yet
formally notified Tokyo about its deployment in relation to the Futenma base
relocation issue.
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima separately expressed displeasure at the
envisioned deployment, given the safety risks posed by the aircraft.
At a Diet panel on Thursday, however, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada
referred to the possibility of such a deployment taking place and indicated
that the government plans to explain U.S. deployment plans and flight routes to
local governments in Okinawa.
Okada told a press conference Friday that he will ask the U.S. government about
the details of the Osprey deployment plan. The minister said he is not aware of
recent safety problems relating to the aircraft.
In a report issued Aug. 31 by U.S. and Japanese experts on the technical
details of the planned Futenma replacement facility, the two countries said
they will continue talks on flight routes to and from the replacement site.
The foreign minister admitted that the possibility of Osprey deployment was a
factor behind the two countries' different positions on the flight routes.
''We have to honestly explain to the Japanese people the gaps between Japan and
the United States (over the flight routes) and negotiate on the matter by
considering the operational needs of U.S. forces and the possible negative
impact on residents of Okinawa,'' Okada said.
Meanwhile, Morrell suggested that Japan and the United States will study
Tokyo's proposal for joint use by U.S. forces and Japan's Self-Defense Forces
of the replacement facility for the Futenma base through their experts' group.
The two countries have agreed to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air
Station from a crowded residential area to a less densely populated area in the
southern Japanese prefecture.
But they still differ on the design of the replacement facility and aircraft
flight routes, issues that are linked to the degree of impact on the local
marine environment and noise pollution.
==Kyodo
2010-09-10 23:07:59


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