Tokyo: The United States will ship a second batch of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft to a US Marine air station in Iwakuni, western Japan, in late July prior to their eventual deployment at a Marine base in southern Japan`s Okinawa Prefecture, Japan`s Defense Ministry said Monday.
The 12 tilt-rotor aircraft, which will arrive at US Iwakuni Air Station between July 28 and 31, are expected to be additionally deployed at the US Marine Corps` Futenma Air Station in Okinawa in early August after undergoing test flights and maintenance, it said.
Twelve Ospreys have already been deployed at the Okinawa base since last October.
The Marines earlier planned to deploy a total of 24 Ospreys at the Futenma base by 2014 to replace ageing CH-46 helicopters.
The deployment of the aircraft, which can take off and land like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane, has sparked anger among Okinawa residents due to its track record of crashes.
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima told reporters in Naha on Monday that he will continue to seek the cancellation of the Osprey deployment plan.
Akira Sato, parliamentary vice defence minister, will explain about the arrival of the second batch of Ospreys in talks with Yamaguchi Governor Shigetaro Yamamoto and Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda later in the day.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau, a local unit of the Defense Ministry, will also provide an explanation on Monday to officials of the Okinawa prefecture and the city of Ginowan, which hosts the Futenma facility.
KYODO
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.