Pentagon: U.S. Limits Some Osprey Flights In Japan, Continues Others

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) — The U.S. military unit which had a V-22 Osprey aircraft crash off the coast of Japan is not carrying out operations but other aircraft will continue to fly after undergoing safety checks, the Pentagon said on Friday, even as Tokyo has said it is concerned about continued Osprey flights.
Japan, a key U.S. ally, had sought the suspension of all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after one fell into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan. Japan’s Coast Guard has said one person was found and confirmed dead, and the search for the remaining seven aboard continues.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that outside the unit that had the crash, all other Ospreys in Japan “operate only after undergoing thorough maintenance and safety checks.”