V-22s were deployed in Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base.
The Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF)’s first V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft arrived from US Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni (MCAS) to Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Kisarazu Air Statiton for temporary deployment on July, 10.
A pair of V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, in the inventory of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, arrived Japan on May 8. Japanese Defense Ministry officially procured 17 V-22s on November 21, 2014. Japanese parliament approved a defense budget for 5 additional V-22s and ordered it for at an estimated cost of $332 million in January, 2015.
The Japanese Ground Defense Forces (GSDF) plan to start the campaigns of V-22 Osprey early August after a month of maintenance and inspection, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.
Ordering 12 V-22s in 2015, Japan became the first foreign customer of V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft. MNY countries such as Israel, India, Indonesia, South Korea and UAE show great interest in V-22. So far, more than 200 aircraft have been produced by Bell-Boeing.
V-22 Osprey
V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tilt rotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.
Since its introduction, V-22 has been used in various missions worldwide, including casualty evacuation, rescue of aircraft and personnel, humanitarian aid / disaster relief, refueling, VIP transportation and area safety.
