Japan Press Weekly

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2014 November 5 - 11 [US FORCES]

Osprey participates in disaster drill in 3.11 disaster-hit region

A U.S. Marine Corps MV22 Osprey on November 7 and 8 participated in a disaster drill held at a coastal area of Japan’s Tohoku region hit by the 3.11 disaster three years ago.

The drill was organized by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and lasted for four days from November 6. In addition to about 15,000 Japanese, including officials of 52 municipal governments of six prefectures in the Tohoku region and the SDF personnel, U.S. and Australian servicemen took part in the drill.

The U.S. forces planned to conduct a landing and take-off training drill of the tilt-rotor aircraft MV22 Osprey on a Maritime SDF transport vessel, but it canceled the plan on the grounds of strong winds and high waves.

A representative of an anti-Osprey group in disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture pointed out that the Osprey has no function in rescue activities and said that the Osprey’s presence in disaster drills is unacceptable.


Past related article:
> MV22s show up at prefectural disaster drill [October 20, 2014]