Referring to the information that Japan asked the US to suspend all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights in its skies after the accident on November 29, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said she had not received an official request on this issue.
“Currently, Ospreys are still operating in Japan,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.
Image of Osprey aircraft. (Photo: Getty)
Search and rescue operations are continuing for those on board the plane, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
Earlier, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said: "The occurrence of such an accident causes great anxiety to people in the region... We ask the US to only take off the Ospreys deployed in Japan after it is confirmed to be safe."
Another senior Japanese Defense Ministry official also said that the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force - the unit that operates the Ospreys, will suspend flights of this type of aircraft until the details of the accident are clarified.
The use of Osprey combat aircraft was temporarily banned in Okinawa following an accident involving a US military Osprey in December 2016.
The use of the Osprey has been controversial in Japan due to safety concerns. Many say the aircraft is prone to accidents, while the US and Japanese militaries say it is safe.
In August, three US Marines died when an Osprey crashed during a routine exercise in Australia. Five Marines were killed in an Osprey crash in California in June 2022.
In addition, many accidents involving Osprey aircraft have also occurred in many places, including an accident in March 2022 in Norway that killed four people and accidents in Syria and Australia in 2017.
The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that can fly like a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. It is operated by the US Marine Corps, US Navy and Japan Self-Defense Forces.
Kong Anh (Source: Reuters)
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