Tokyo, Jun 14 (AP) Japan's defence chief said Friday that Japanese and American V-22 Ospreys are being safely operated in his country, and that he has no plans to request a flight suspension despite restrictions in the US where ongoing safety and performance assessments will continue until next year.

Defence Minister Minoru Kihara said that Japanese and US military officials have closely communicated over technical issues involving the safety of Ospreys following a fatal November crash off Japan's southern coast.

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“Japanese and US Ospreys have been operated safely and I believe there is no safety issue involved," Kihara said. “We have no intention to seek a suspension of the operation.”

Aircraft that had completed necessary maintenance, in addition to further training of pilots, have returned to flight service, and they are operated with upgraded safety checks, maintenance, flight plans, emergency measures and other steps, he said.

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Kihara was responding to a question about a remark by Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, head of US Naval Air Systems Command, that hundreds of US military Ospreys won't be permitted to fly their full range of missions until at least 2025 while the Pentagon addresses safety concerns in the fleet.

The November crash killed eight US servicemembers, causing the fleet to be grounded for about four months. The Ospreys in March returned to flight but not to full missions such as carrier operations.

Twenty-nine Ospreys deployed to US military bases in Japan under the bilateral security alliance, as well as 14 others operated by Japan's Ground Self Defence Force, which had been also grounded, resumed flights in mid-March.

Asked about restrictions to Ospreys operated in Japan, Kihara said that he couldn't comment if or what restrictions are attached, citing national security reasons. He said he wasn't informed of the content of Chebi's remarks to US Congress in advance, and that officials are asking Washington to explain details.

The Osprey, in use since 2007, can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter. Critics say its innovative design has systematic flaws that are behind the unexpected failures. Among the reasons for the extension of restricted flight is that the military is still working to fix a clutch failure that was identified as one of the primary factors in a fatal crash in California in 2022.

Over the lifespan of the Osprey program, Chebi said a total of 64 service members have been killed in air and ground crashes, with 93 others injured. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)