EGN NEWS DESK
Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda mentioned Tuesday that his metropolis will permit the deployment of the U.S. Navy’s CMV-22 Osprey transport plane to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
Fukuda informed a gathering of the municipal meeting in Yamaguchi Prefecture that the town judged that the deployment of the tilt-rotor aircraft wouldn’t have a big impression on the lives of individuals residing close to the bottom. It is the primary stationing of the naval model of the Osprey in Japan.
The deployment, introduced by U.S. Forces Japan in July as an improve of the present transport plane, is anticipated to start later this yr. The U.S. navy may also station the F-35C Lightning II, the newest carrier-based stealth fighter, on the Iwakuni base.
Fukuda informed reporters he plans to keep watch over the operations of the Osprey to see whether or not its deployment impacts residents’ lives.
The Yamaguchi prefectural authorities will give its opinion on the deployment after consulting with the cities of Waki and Suooshima close to the bottom.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara mentioned at a information convention in Tokyo that the deployment represents the “unshakable dedication” of the United States to the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance. He expressed his appreciation of Fukuda’s approval of the plan.
The U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force presently deploy their very own Osprey at Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, and Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, respectively.
The U.S. navy progressively resumed operation of all Osprey fashions after they had been grounded around the globe after a CV-22 Osprey crashed off the island of Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture in November, killing all eight crew members.
