The crash of a US Osprey transport plane in Japan has aroused the dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction of the Japanese people, but Japan does not dare to offend the United States and can only weakly demand an explanation from the US side, but the US side does not care and continues to use this kind of aircraft with potential safety hazards.
On the afternoon of November 29, an Osprey transport plane that took off from the U.S. military base in Iwakuni and headed for the Kadena base crashed in the waters near Yakushima, killing one U.S. soldier and the fate of the other five crew members is unknown.
According to Japan**, the plane was originally intended to land at Yakushima Airport, but before landing, the left engine suddenly **, causing the plane to lose control and crash on the coast not far from the airport. At that time, the weather in Yakushima was sunny and there were no unfavorable meteorological conditions, and the cause of the accident was not yet known.
The U.S. and Japanese sides immediately launched a search and rescue operation, and found some wreckage of the plane, as well as a life raft that was buckled upside down in the sea, and an American soldier, but he was dead. The whereabouts of the rest of the personnel remain unknown, and it is feared that there will be few survivors.
The accident aroused a strong reaction from the Japanese people, who expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Osprey transport plane deployed by the US military in Japan, believing that this kind of plane was unsafe and would endanger Japan's safety and environment, and they demanded that the US military ground the Osprey transport plane and withdraw the US military base.
The Osprey transport aircraft is an important piece of equipment for the U.S. military, which is capable of vertical take-off and landing and high-speed flight, but it also has many flaws and frequent accidents. Back in 2000, there were two crashes of Osprey transport planes, which led investigators to find flaws in the design of the aircraft, poor reliability and repairability, but the United States still insisted on using them.
In recent years, the United States has frequently intervened in conflicts around the world and sent troops to the Middle East, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, which has made the equipment and personnel of the US military exhausted and not effectively maintained and recuperated, thus increasing the risk of flight accidents.
In August, a U.S. Osprey transport plane crashed in Australia, killing at least three people. In March 2022, a U.S. Osprey transport plane crashed in Norway, killing all four crew members. In December 2016, a U.S. Osprey transport plane crashed in Okinawa, Japan, injuring two people.
These accidents all illustrate that the Osprey transport aircraft is a problematic aircraft and should not have flown in Japan.
Japan** did not realize this, and in 2014 they decided to introduce Osprey transport aircraft and planned to build a Osprey transport station for the Ground Self-Defense Force at Saga Airport.
Japan did this in order to cater to the wishes of the United States and maintain the US-Japan alliance, but they ignored the opinions of the Japanese people, who did not want the US military to deploy such dangerous planes in Japan, and they regarded it as an invasion and threat to Japan.
The Japanese people have repeatedly expressed ** about the Osprey transport plane, such as the one in 2016, when the Osprey transport plane made a forced landing in the waters near Okinawa, and five crew members were rescued, two of whom were injured. Although no one died, the incident frightened the Japanese people, who feared that the crash of the US military plane would endanger their lives and property. There are also some citizens who directly accuse Japan** that Okinawa should not be allowed to bear the burden of US military bases.
This accident has further intensified the mood of the Japanese people, who demanded that the US military ground the Osprey transport plane and withdraw the US military base.
However, Japan did not take effective measures, but only weakly demanded that the US side explain the accident, but did not dare to ask the US side to ground the Osprey transport plane.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary also said that Japan will still deploy Osprey transport aircraft for the Ground Self-Defense Force.
Such an attitude is obviously biased in favor of the US side and ignores public opinion.
The opinions of the local ** and the Japanese people in Japan are not the same as the opinions of the ** in Japan.
The governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Danny Tamaki, insisted that all Osprey transport planes be grounded.
The Ground Self-Defense Force base of Medahara in Saga Prefecture has also canceled the Osprey transport training flight scheduled for November 30.
Under pressure from the Japanese people, on 30 November, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said that Japan has asked the US military stationed in Japan to temporarily suspend the "Osprey" transport plane.
This result was a victory for the Japanese people, but it was also a difficult victory.
This is because a spokesman for the US Department of Defense said that the US military stationed in Japan will continue to use the "Osprey" transport plane in Japan.
The focus of the United States is not Japan's demands, but the search and rescue of its own soldiers.
Japan**, faced with an angry populace on the one hand, and a strong United States on the other, is in a dilemma.