Japan, US Agree To Speed Up Talks On Joint Safety Checks Of US Helicopters Reports

Japan, US Agree to Speed Up Talks on Joint Safety Checks of US Helicopters  Reports

Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez, the commander of the US forces in Japan, agreed on Thursday to accelerate negotiations on joint safety inspections of the US helicopters deployed in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa in light of a series of emergencies involving US military aircraft, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2018) Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez, the commander of the US forces in Japan, agreed on Thursday to accelerate negotiations on joint safety inspections of the US helicopters deployed in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa in light of a series of emergencies involving US military aircraft, local media reported.

In January, at least three US helicopters made emergency landings in Okinawa, prior to which a window from a US military helicopter fell onto the territory of one of the prefecture's elementary schools in December. The Japanese authorities then asked the US servicemen to allow the members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to carry out the safety check of the US helicopters, however they have not been authorized to do so so far.

According to the NHK broadcaster, the two military officials agreed at a meeting in Tokyo that the Japanese and US forces would hold a meeting to discuss the matter, with Martinez pledging to expedite the progress on the issue.

The deployment of the US CV-22 Osprey transport aircraft at a military base in the Japanese capital, which will take place later in October, was among other issues discussed by Iwaya and Martinez, the news outlet added.

The deployment of the US Ospreys at US Yokota Air Base has been opposed by local residents, with several protests actions against the aircraft's basing in the area having been held earlier in the year. The activists, in particular, raised concerns over potential safety risks and noise that Ospreys might cause.

A considerable part of US military facilities in Japan are deployed on the island of Okinawa. Apart from Okinawa, the United States also has its military facilities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. Another seven posts or bases of the US military are situated on Japan's mainland.