陸上りくじょう自衛隊じえいたいの輸送ゆそう機きオスプレイ 佐賀さが県けんへの配備はいび開始かいし 機体きたい到着とうちゃく

The Ministry of Defense began deploying the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Osprey transport aircraft to Saga Prefecture on the 9th, and the first aircraft has arrived at the Saga Garrison.

The Ministry of Defense plans to relocate the 17 Ospreys, which are currently temporarily deployed at Kisarazu Garrison in Chiba Prefecture, to the newly developed Saga Garrison on the west side of Saga Airport, with the first aircraft being stationed there.

Around 10:20 a.m. on the 9th, the first aircraft flew to the Saga Garrison from Takayubaru Sub Base in Kumamoto Prefecture, which served as a stopover.

The Ministry of Defense plans to deploy the remaining 16 aircraft sequentially by mid-next month. At the Kisarazu garrison, one Osprey took off just before 11 a.m. on the 9th and flew toward its stopover at the Takayubaru sub-garrison.

Since the Osprey began being used by the U.S. military in 2007, there have been repeated serious accidents, including the destruction of aircraft. The year before last, a U.S. military aircraft crashed off Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, resulting in the deaths of eight crew members.

The Ministry of Defense states that the deployment of Ospreys to Saga Prefecture is intended to strengthen the defense system in the southwestern region, and that deployment will proceed with flight safety as the top priority.

The Ministry of Defense aims to deploy Ospreys at the Saga garrison as part of efforts to strengthen the defense system in the southwestern region, amid increased maritime activities by the Chinese military.

The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, whose main mission is the defense of remote islands, is the one expected to carry out transport operations with the Osprey.

The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade has its main unit stationed at the Ainoura Garrison in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and since it is only about 60 kilometers in a straight line from the Saga Garrison, it is said that using Ospreys will allow for quicker transportation of troops to remote islands.

The Osprey has a maximum speed of about 500 kilometers per hour and a range of about 2,600 kilometers. Compared to the CH-47 transport helicopter, its speed is about twice as fast and its range is about three times longer.

According to the Ministry of Defense, while it takes about seven hours for a CH-47 transport helicopter to travel from the Saga garrison to Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the westernmost part of Japan, including refueling stops along the way, an Osprey can make the trip in about three and a half hours without refueling.

At a press conference on the 8th, Defense Minister Nakatani said, The security environment surrounding our country is becoming increasingly severe, and strengthening our island defense capabilities, including in the southwestern region, has become an urgent issue.

He stated, The deployment of Ospreys to the Saga Garrison is extremely significant in building a system that enables integrated operations with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and in strengthening our island defense capabilities.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tachibana said at a press conference, Given the most severe and complex security environment since the war, the deployment is highly significant for strengthening the defense capabilities of island areas, including the southwestern region, and is also beneficial from the perspective of disaster relief and transportation of emergency patients.

He added, We have confirmed the safety of the Osprey on numerous occasions so far, but we will continue to sincerely listen to the various opinions of the local community, make every possible effort to ensure safety, and provide thorough explanations.

The Ministry of Defense revealed its plan to deploy Ospreys to Saga Prefecture 11 years ago, in July 2014, as part of a deployment plan that had been in the works for over 10 years.

Saga Airport was chosen because it is close to Sasebo City in Nagasaki Prefecture, where the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade responsible for the defense of remote islands is stationed, and it has a runway necessary for operating Ospreys.

Initially, the deployment was scheduled for fiscal year 2021, but discussions with the local community were difficult due to concerns about the safety of the aircraft and the potential impact on the fishing industry.

For this reason, the Ministry of Defense requested cooperation from Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture, and temporarily deployed the unit at the Kisarazu Garrison, where the Ground Self-Defense Forces helicopter unit is stationed, with the goal of doing so within five years.

Ospreys were provisionally deployed to the Kisarazu Garrison starting July 10, 2020, and July 9 marks the deadline for the five-year target.

Past Osprey Accidents Since the Osprey began operation with the U.S. military in 2007, there have been repeated occurrences of the most serious Class A accidents, in which crew members were killed or the aircraft was destroyed.

Since 2007, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the number of Class A accidents involving U.S. military Ospreys is 12 for the Air Force and 15 for the Marine Corps.

Of these, in November the year before last, a U.S. Air Force aircraft crashed off the coast of Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, killing eight crew members. The U.S. military has stated that the cause was a malfunction inside the gearbox that transmits power from the engine to the propeller, as well as a pilot error in judgment.

On the other hand, in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, there was an accident last October in which part of an aircraft was damaged when it touched the ground due to a pilots operational error while attempting to take off from the Yonaguni Garrison.