U.S., Japanese Officials Discuss Osprey Issues

U.S., Japanese Officials Discuss Osprey Issues

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2012 - Defense Department officials today held a director-level meeting at the Pentagon with officials from the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide an update on MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft issues, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

Today's meeting, Little said, was led by Christopher Johnstone, Director for Northeast Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy) and Air Force Brig. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, the Joint Staff. The meeting also included representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps and other U.S. Air Force members who provided updates on the status of the investigations into recent mishaps involving Osprey aircraft, Little said.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon yesterday, Little described the meeting as an effort to address concerns about the aircraft by the governor of Okinawa. DOD is planning to deploy the MV-22 -- the Marine Corps variant of the Osprey -- to the Asia-Pacific region.

The CV-22 Osprey is the Air Force's special operations variant. The tilt-rotor Osprey can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.

The Department of Defense takes the inquiries made by the Japanese government very seriously and provided relevant information to the extent currently possible, and will continue to do so, Little said.

The Osprey is a highly capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record, which includes more than five years of worldwide deployments and 140,000 flight hours, he said.