OSPREY TILT-ROTOR AIRCRAFT GROUNDED IN JAPAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, right, hosts a Pentagon honor cordon for visiting Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto, Aug. 3, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett Panetta: Ospreys Grounded in Japan Pending Investigation

By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2012 - The Marine Corps will deliver the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to Japan on time, but they will remain grounded for the short term, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters today during a joint Pentagon press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto.

Panetta said the Osprey will not fly in Japan until a full report into two recent incidents involving the aircraft is presented to the Japanese government and the safety of flight operations is reconfirmed. "The Defense Department anticipates presenting this information to the Japanese government sometime this month," he said.

An Osprey crash in Morocco in April killed two people; another in Florida in June injured five.

The Osprey is key to the defense department's plans for the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta said. "It will enable Marines to fly faster and farther from Okinawa to remote islands in Japan. This is a one-of-a-kind platform."

"We have tremendous confidence in this plane," Panetta added. "We fly it in combat operations, we fly it around the world [and] we fly it here in this country ... This plane can safely implement its operational mission."

Panetta also praised the defense partnership between the United States and Japan.

"This alliance has been the bedrock to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years," he said.

During their meeting today the defense leaders also discussed plans to realign the U.S. force structure and ways to modernize and advance the U.S.-Japan alliance, including joint operations, training and shared use of training ranges.

"Japan's decision to purchase the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is an important move that will help expand our bilateral cooperation," Panetta said. "It will enhance the ability of our forces to operate together and it will ensure our dominance of the skies for decades to come."

After the press conference, Panetta and Morimoto took part in a familiarization flight aboard an Osprey, flying from the Pentagon to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

U.S./JAPAN GO AHEAD WITH OSPREY UPGRADE

Photo:  Soldiers Offload From Osprey.  Credit:  U.S. Navy. 
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
DOD, Japan Move Forward on Osprey Fleet Upgrade
By Cheryl Pellerin
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 - Working closely with the Japanese government, the Defense Department will replace CH-46 helicopters used by the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for operations beginning in August.

Recent mishaps involving an MV-22 and a CV-22 aircraft raised concerns about the fleet upgrade by the governor of Okinawa, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little. Senior DOD officials briefed a Japanese delegation on the incidents at the Pentagon June 22.

On April 11 in Morocco, an MV-22 crashed while taking part in a bilateral military exercise. There were no casualties. Flight data indicates the aircraft performed as expected. In a statement, DOD said the U.S. Marine Corps determined the aircraft did not suffer a mechanical or material failure and there were no problems with the aircraft's safety.

Earlier this month, a CV-22 crashed during a training mission in Navarre, Florida, leaving five crew members injured. A preliminary review uncovered no information that would preclude the aircraft's continued operation, DOD said.


PHOTO:  OSPREY CRASH .  CREDIT:  U.S. AIR FORCE

The Defense Department, including senior U.S. Air Force leaders, stands behind the CV-22's reliability and is convinced the aircraft is safe for operation, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey operates with the speed and range of a turboprop, the maneuverability of a helicopter and the ability to carry 24 Marine combat troops. It travels twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters.

The Air Force CV-22 Osprey is a special operations variant of the aircraft. It can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.

In response to remaining safety concerns, according to DOD officials, the MV-22 will not fly in Japan until results of the investigations are presented to the Japanese government in August.

During this time, Japan will be the only location worldwide, including the continental United States, where MV-22 flight operations will be suspended, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record and has logged more than 115,000 flight hours, officials said. About a third of those flight hours were flown during the last two years.

The Osprey achieved these flight hours performing combat operations, humanitarian assistance, training, and test and evaluation missions, officials said.
Basing the Osprey in Okinawa, according to the DOD statement, will strengthen the U.S. ability to provide for the defense of Japan, perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and fulfill other alliance roles.