Japan Grounds Osprey Fleet Following Takeoff Mishap, Keen Sword Drills with U.S. Continue

Dzirhan Mahadzir

October 30, 2024 5:41 PM - Updated: October 30, 2024 8:31 PM

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has grounded its fleet of Ospreys after an aircraft failed to take off during an ongoing exercise with the United States.

On Sunday, a JGSDF V-22 Osprey participating in Keen Sword 25 sustained damage during a failed take-off attempt. At approximately 11:38 a.m. that day, a V-22 Osprey from the JGSDF’s 1st Helicopter Brigade attempted to take off from Yonaguni Garrison on Yonaguni Island, but the aircraft became unstable and swayed from side to side, according to a Japan Joint Staff Office news release. The lower part of the left wing came into contact with the ground, causing partial damage to the aircraft. The JGSDF terminated the flight and the aircraft landed within the garrison, according to the release.

In a Tuesday press conference, Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said the JGSDF accident investigation committee is probing the incident and that the JGSDF’s fleet of Ospreys are now grounded. The JGSDF ordered a total of 17 Ospreys, with around 14 or more in service. The JGSDF Ospreys were supposed to conduct air assault drills in Keen Sword.

The incident is likely to reignite debate in Japan over the safety of the Ospreys that both the U.S. and Japanese military operate around Japan. Following the fatal crash of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 last November in Japan, Japan’s Ministry of Defense had to make significant efforts explaining Osprey operations are not a danger to the Japanese public.

The Keen Sword 25 exercise is taking place this week, with the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88), cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and the Commander, Task Force 70 participating, according to a Navy news release issued Monday.

“Keen Sword 25 provides the George Washington CSG an arena to flex its considerable capability in the air, surface and information domains,” Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, the commander of CTF 70 and the CSG, said in the release, “Not only is the strike group conducting dynamic flight operations and complex expeditionary logistics during this exercise, it is also serving as a hub for tactical decision-making, driving action and reaction among forces throughout the region.”

Lake Erie is drilling with allies in the Philippine Sea in the vicinity of Okinawa, while Preble is operating from Yokosuka as a bilateral Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile (TLAM) training platform with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, according to the release. The U.S. has been training Japan on the Tomahawks since Japan inked a deal in January to procure the missiles.

Meanwhile, amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) portions of the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in Guam on Wednesday for a planned port call. Boxer and its 15th MEU elements recently participated in the U.S. Marine Corps – Philippines Marines Corps KAMANDAG 8 exercise that took place across the Philippines this month.

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Japan Grounds Osprey Fleet Following Takeoff Mishap, Keen Sword Drills with U.S. Continue

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In other developments, Chinese electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft and an unmanned aerial vehicle conducted surveillance over the Philippine Sea south of Okinawa on Monday, according to a JSO release. From Monday morning to afternoon, a Chinese Y-9 ELINT aircraft flew in from the East China Sea, passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island to enter the Philippine Sea and flew in the waters southeast of Okinawa before flying back the same path to enter the East China Sea. A second Y-9 ELINT aircraft took the same route, but conducted a circuit flight over the Philippine Sea before returning to the East China Sea.

On Monday afternoon, a People’s Liberation Army BZK-005 reconnaissance UAV flew in from the East China Sea, passed between Okinawa and Miyako Island, reached the Philippine Sea and then returned the same way to the East China Sea. In response to the flights, Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters from Southwestern Air Defense Command scrambled.

The flight routes of the Y-9s and BZK-005 showed a difference from the usual flight patterns of Chinese ELINT aircraft and UAVs that pass through the waters between Okinawa and Miyako Islands. Typically, Chinese aircraft and UAVs having reached the Philippine Sea and then turn west toward Taiwan. But both Y-9s on Monday turned northeast while the UAV turned back to the East China Sea after entering the Philippine Sea. It’s possible that the aircraft and UAV were surveilling the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword exercise activity going on in the area.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated that a French Navy frigate sailed north through the Taiwan Strait from Monday night to Tuesday morning. The MND did not identify the French Navy ship, but it could be frigate FS Prairial (F731), as the French Navy announced on Oct. 22 that the ship had set sail from French Polynesia for a deployment to Asia.

Prairial recently made a port visit to Cebu, Philippines last week, according to a French embassy news release. The frigate is expected to operate in the East China Sea to conduct surveillance missions in support of U.N. sanctions on North Korea. A French Navy Falcon 200 surveillance aircraft is currently conducting aerial surveillance missions in support of the sanctions, according to a Japan Ministry of Defense news release.

Meanwhile, in the South China Sea, three U.S. Littoral Combat Ships are operating there, according to imagery released by the U.S. Department of Defense. USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) was conducting search and rescue training there on Oct. 21, while USS Omaha (LCS-12) and USS Savannah (LCS-28) sailed together on Monday during routine operations in the South China Sea. USS Mobile (LCS-26) returned to its San Diego homeport on Oct. 25 following a 19-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific, according to a Navy release.

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https://news.usni.org/2024/10/30/japan-grounds-osprey-fleet-following-takeoff-mishap-keen-sword-drills-with-u-s-continue

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>weather man

wasted digits

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