Precautionary Osprey landings signal safety, not alarm

Japan Times

2 days ago

While the Japanese public was closely following the campaigning for the July 20 Upper House election and then speculating about future coalition governments after the results were known, two precautionary landings by the U.S. Air Force's V-22 Ospreys were quietly and professionally conducted at civilian airports in northern Honshu in the space of one week.
The first precautionary landing was at Odate‑Noshiro Airport in Akita on July 18 and the second at Iwate's Hanamaki Airport on July 24. On both occasions, no damage or injuries were reported and commercial air traffic proceeded uninterrupted.
Japan's political left, such as the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, was quick to complain about the events. Yet the two precautionary landings signal safety, rather than alarm.
The V-22, which takes off vertically like a helicopter and flies like a turboprop aircraft, has been in the country for more than a decade now. In July 2012, the first of the Marine Corps' MV-22s were introduced into Japan, followed by the U.S. Air Force's CV-22s in the spring of 2018.
Subsequently in July 2020, Japan accepted delivery of its initial Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, making it the first nation outside the United States to own and operate the tiltrotor aircraft.
Japan originally made the decision to purchase them in 2015. I had the pleasure of working closely with its leadership prior to then as the political adviser for the Marine Corps in Japan familiarizing Japanese officials, parliamentarians, local political and community leaders, members of the media and civil society and our Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Force counterparts with the aircraft.
For example, current Defense Minister Gen Nakatani was one of the first politicians to fly in it and the current chair of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, Itsunori Onodera, was the first defense minister to take such a flight within Japan. I escorted both men during their flights in the MV-22 in 2012 and 2014.
The V-22, whether operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force or the Ground Self-Defense Force, provides Japan with unique advantages in quickly covering long distances with substantial payloads while also being runway-independent.
The two precautionary landings involved V-22s that belong to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, based out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, but are assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Yokota Air Base.
These crews have become increasingly active over northern Japan, participating in training and other missions, often utilizing Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture.
Precautionary landings are an accepted and responsible aviation safety measure. It is important to note that not all precautionary landings are preceded by an emergency declaration and, therefore, are not classified as emergency landings. This procedure prioritizes the safety of the crew, the aircraft and the public, ensuring that safety takes an absolute priority over the urgency of the mission.
When an onboard warning light, indicator or system anomaly is detected mid-flight, the well-trained pilots will divert to the nearest suitable airfield to troubleshoot and verify the aircraft's condition.
Often, especially in Japan, the nearest airfield is a civilian airport. When an airport is not nearby and time is of the essence, a field or other open space may have to be used but only if the safety of the public can be assured.
In both recent cases, pilots responded to warning indicators during routine transit flights and landed in accordance with strict operational guidelines. The aircraft were inspected and both departed later once cleared.
In my previous position, I had the opportunity to fly countless times in all sorts of environs in Japan and elsewhere. The professionalism of the pilots and crew always impressed me. I knew I was safe in their hands.
Indeed, the commander of the 1st Marine squadron in Japan once told me and my guests that he would let his small children fly on any of the aircraft under his command with any of his pilots and crews.
Adherence to rigorous safety procedures reflects not deficiencies, but a proper enforcement of safety discipline and a responsible risk management technique of the crew.
To confirm this, and to understand how nighttime missions differ from daytime ones, I requested and was granted permission to participate in evening training flights. Sitting in the jump seat then and during disaster response drills, I could see how, as individuals, as units and as organizations, the pilots and the squadrons to which they belong continuously seek to improve their skills and how they operate.
The V-22 fleet in Japan has undergone improved safety checks and pilot retraining since November 2023 when a tragic mishap caused a U.S. CV-22 to crash into waters off southwestern Japan, claiming the lives of eight U.S. service members. Since March 2024, V-22 flights have had upgraded maintenance protocols and new emergency procedures in place.
Recognizing this, in June 2024, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara confirmed that Japan had no plans to suspend Osprey operations, emphasizing the ongoing communication with U.S. counterparts.
More recently, Japan's fleet of 17 V-22 Ospreys has begun deploying at the newly opened permanent base Camp Saga on the island of Kyushu. This was part of a larger effort by the Japanese government to bolster rapid response and island defense capabilities on its southwest flank amid growing regional tensions with China. The Japanese Ground Self‑Defense Force expects all aircraft to arrive by mid-August and plans to integrate them with its amphibious rapid response brigade in nearby Sasebo.
This deployment significantly increases the presence of the V-22 aircraft throughout the country. It reflects Tokyo's strategic commitment to modernizing logistics and mobility, particularly in the contested remote islands near Taiwan and the East China Sea, which are the main focus for China's "gray-zone" tactics.
Japan's decision to expand V-22 usage occurs against a backdrop of both strategic necessity and national security tensions. Aviation experts underscore the Osprey's operational advantages, especially over remote maritime approaches.
Japan's ramp-up of V-22 Osprey operations reflects broader policy shifts: a renewed emphasis on rapid deployment, island defense and joint readiness with U.S. forces.
The V-22 is central to both Japanese and American strategy in the Western Pacific. Only the Osprey has the multifaceted capabilities that make it a powerful deterrent and survivable and capable in the event of conflict. It is possible to operate the Osprey in a way that maintains our allied strategic advantage consistent with rigorous safety protocols.
The precautionary landings of the V-22 in July should be seen as evidence that Ospreys are being deployed strategically, capably and smartly, even as they are being operated with safety top of mind. This — the strategic deployment and their safe operations — should reassure the people of Japan.
Robert D. Eldridge served as the political adviser to the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa from 2009-2015 and is the author of numerous books on the U.S.-Japan alliance, including "An Alliance Asset," which discusses the introduction of the MV-22 in Japan in 2012-2013.