Osprey flights resume in Japan

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) has resumed flights of Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft for the first time since a fatal crash last November.

The GSDF has 14 Ospreys deployed on a temporary basis at Camp Kisarazu near Tokyo.The fleet was grounded after a US military Osprey crashed off the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, killing all eight crewmembers on board.

The GSDF put its Ospreys back in the air on Thursday, after completing the necessary maintenance and crew training.  The GSDF plans to begin with basic aerial training around the camp and over the sea, before moving on to advanced training and duties.