Why are Osprey aircraft deployed in Japan's Saga Prefecture amid local opposition?
Question: I've heard that Ospreys have arrived in Saga Prefecture. What's going on?
Answer: Yes, that's referring to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF)'s V-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The first unit arrived on July 9 at the newly established Camp Saga, adjacent to Kyushu-Saga International Airport in the city of Saga. The aircraft is scheduled to be stationed at the camp, where construction work is still ongoing, though its main facilities have been completed.
Q: Why are they being deployed in Saga?
A: The deployment is aimed at strengthening Japan's island defense capabilities, including of the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. In the Mid-Term Defense Program approved by the Cabinet in 2013, the central government called for the creation of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade tasked with recapturing remote islands, and the introduction of Osprey aircraft for rapid troop deployment. The brigade's base is located at Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, about 60 kilometers from Saga.
Q: How will they be operated moving forward?
A: All 17 of the GSDF's Osprey aircraft were temporarily stationed at Camp Kisarazu in the eastern Japan city of Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, but they are scheduled to be fully relocated to Saga by mid-August. Training will begin once preparations are complete. The Kyushu Defense Bureau of the Ministry of Defense has presented an "operational plan" to Saga Prefecture detailing concrete examples of training content and flight paths. However, pilots will apparently choose the most appropriate routes based on weather conditions during actual operations. The Ministry of Defense has stated that local authorities, including the Saga Municipal Government, will be notified when training begins.
Q: What do residents think?
A: Informational meetings were held from June 10 to 13 for local neighborhood association leaders near Camp Saga, where concerns about noise and other issues were raised. Some locals involved in the fishery opposing the deployment have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the camp's construction. On June 21, about 620 residents gathered near the camp site for a rally opposing the Osprey deployment. The national government is urged to provide thorough explanations to residents and foster trust.
(Japanese original by Akiho Narimatsu, Saga Bureau)
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