US plan to deploy Osprey aircraft in Japan sparking anger
Iran Press TV
Fri May 15, 2015 3:57PM
The United States is planning to deploy controversial CV-22 Osprey aircraft at Yokota Air Base, located just outside of Tokyo, Japan.
The controversial plan has sparked anger among ordinary citizens and is likely to spark public debate about Japan's military role in the region, Press TV correspondent in Tokyo, Albert Siegel, reported on Friday.
The plan calls for an initial deployment of three units to start in 2017 with an additional seven units added by 2021 for a total of ten aircraft.
Washington has already notified the government of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about its plan to deploy 10 of the US Air Force version of the hybrid aircraft, reports said.
Osprey takes off and lands like a helicopter and cruises like a plane. The aircraft is designed for special operations, including infiltration, exfiltration and resupply.
Japanese citizens are holding protests against the controversial US plan and Washington's attempt to increase its military deployments across their country.
'We Japanese students are fighting against the Osprey deployment at Yokota Air Base," a student protester told Press TV.
"Now Abe and Obama administrations are drastically strengthen the military capability for war by not only in Okinawa but all over Japan, that is why we are strongly opposing these actions," he added.
Another demonstrator said, "We will never welcome Ospreys."
"We have Article 9 of the Constitution and our basic stance is not to be engaged into a war. People have different views but basically we think how to protect the Article 9 of the Constitution," he told Press TV correspondent.
The Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan which outlaws war as a means to resolve international disputes.
A military analyst told Press TV that the deployment of Ospreys will not increase Japan's security.
"They are not defending Japan. They are stationed in Okinawa to be deployed in case of emergency somewhere else," he said.
"It has not contributed to Japan's security in the past, and it won't contribute to Japan's security in the future," he added.
The US military is building up its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Obama administration announced the so-called "pivot" strategy to Asia in 2012, which involves the repositioning of American military forces throughout that region as well as strengthening US military alliances and strategic partnerships in that part of the world.
The once-independent Okinawa island was annexed by Japan in the 19th century and was under US control from the end of World War II in 1945 until 1972. It still hosts about 75 percent of the US military presence in Japan.
About half of US forces in Japan are based in Okinawa. Many locals have complained about base-related crimes, noise and the risk of accidents.
According to documents obtained by the Associated Press, American military personnel were involved in more than 1,000 sex crimes between 2005 and 2013 in Japan.
GJH/GJH
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