According to Xinhua News Agency, citing Japan's Kyodo News Agency, after the crash of the US Air Force transport plane "Osprey" off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on December 12, the foreign-related governors' meeting composed of 15 prefectures and prefectures in Japan with facilities related to US military bases demanded that the US side investigate the cause and prevent the recurrence of the incident.
In view of the frequent accident rate of the "Osprey" series, the Japanese people have been vocal since the deployment of the Osprey. In September 2012, the Japan-US Joint Commission signed an agreement on Japan's new MV-22 aircraft, in response to public concerns about aircraft safety, pointing out the responsibility of the Japanese authorities to recognize aircraft safety and take precautions. Regarding the crash, the Governor for Foreign Affairs pointed out that "not only the residents in the vicinity of the base, but also all the people of Japan are very worried."
As of the end of March 2022, the Japan Self-Defense Forces had a total of 13 Ospreys. Beginning in June this year, Japan's Ministry of Defense began a plan to deploy Ospreys to Saga Airport, and 17 Osprey aircraft will be parked at the new station. The purpose of the deployment plan for Saga Airport is to take advantage of the location of Saga Airport to protect the patrols of the Special Forces "Amphibious Mobile Unit" in the southwestern islands.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, when asked on the evening of November 29 whether there is a plan to ask the United States to stop flying Osprey or stop the Self-Defense Forces' use of Osprey, his answer was quite meaningful. He said, "We will do everything we can to save lives, and on the basis of getting the assistance of the U.S. military to confirm the actual situation of the accident, what we need and what we ask for." This is a topic worth thinking about. Thinking between "needs" and "demands" means that the Japanese ruling authorities cannot make a decisive decision between the "needs" of the national strategy and the "requirements" of national security, and after the crash, the Japanese people still lack a clear political response.
The Paper, for more original information, please **"The Paper" app).