Japan to resume Osprey flights after suspension over safety concerns

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force will gradually resume operations of its 17 U.S.-made V-22 Ospreys, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, after they were suspended earlier this month due to safety concerns.

The suspension of flights came after U.S. forces grounded their Ospreys -- a tilt-rotor military transport and cargo aircraft -- following a recent precautionary landing. This followed a fatal crash in late 2023 in Japan that killed all eight U.S. personnel aboard.

The Japanese ministry said it had received an explanation from the United States regarding the strengthening of safety measures for the aircraft.

According to the ministry, the GSDF will restart its Osprey flights after taking additional steps to ensure the safety of the gearbox, which was linked to the crash off southwestern Japan. The specific schedule and number of aircraft have not been disclosed.

The United States said that operations of Ospreys with such gearboxes under a certain number of flight hours will continue to be controlled, while those meeting or surpassing a predetermined flight-hour threshold will resume flights.