Osprey Allergy

The governments of Japan and United States announced that U.S. Air Force would deploy ten tiltrotor aircrafts, CV-22 Osprey in Yokota Air Base, Tokyo. Yokota will be the second place to have that controversial aircraft, following Futenma Marine Base in Okinawa. Basic reason of the distribution is to lessen military burden in Okinawa, where harsh protest against relocating Futenma base to Henoko still annoys both governments. Well, is Tokyo right place for the alternative, anyway?

Twenty-four MV-22 in Futenma are still facing persistent protest of people in Okinawa. Being believed to be more dangerous in operation than other kinds of helicopters, protestors have been worried about possible crash. Violation of the condition that the aircrafts would not change flight mode between vertical ascension and horizontal cruise also bothered the residents around.

CV-22 for Yokota has greater frequency of accident than MV-22. While MV-22 is designed for transporting purpose, CV-22 is used for special operation of Air Force. They will have not only daytime practices, but also night or low altitude practices in Yokota. U.S. Air Force firstly wanted to deploy them in Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. But it was unrealistic in growing negative sentiment in Okinawa against both governments.

So, how safe the practices in Yokota? Although Yokota base is located suburb of Tokyo Metropolitan District, it is surrounded by dense population. The density is more than around Laguardia or JFK airport in New York. The practice in Yokota will look like frequent flying of the tiltrotors overhead of people in Brooklyn or Queens, not much as in Manhattan.

Protest against Osprey immediately began in Yokota. “It is not about getting rid of burden in Okinawa, but greater armament of U.S. Force in Asian region,” told a leader of civil movement against Yokota Base. There have been a number of lawsuits against noise made by aircrafts in Yokota. Those plaintiffs will make a core of protest against Osprey in Yokota.

Japanese government is responsible for confusion among the people. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, had been saying that the deployment of Osprey in Yokota was unlikely. “They will contribute to emergency in great earthquake underground of Tokyo,” told Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani. He was not an appropriate person to discuss the importance of measures for natural disaster. Defying sincere discussion over safety or necessity of military equipment will harm credibility of the people to the government.