[Global Network Reporter Xu Luming] The first batch of US-made "Osprey" transport aircraft ordered by Japan has arrived in Japan. The arrival of this aircraft will further enhance Japan's "capture island" combat capability.
According to a report on the "Defense Blog" website on May 8, the US Marine Corps announced on the same day that the first two V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft shipped from the United States to Japan had arrived at the U.S. Navy at Iwakuni, Japan. Team Air Station.
The US Marines said in a statement: "This marks the first time that the V-22 transport aircraft of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces arrived in Japan." In July 2015, Japan ordered the first 5 V-22 Osprey transport aircraft for US $ 332 million .
According to reports, part of the V-22 will be deployed on the new Japanese quasi-aircraft carrier Izumo. The purchase of V-22 transport aircraft is an important measure for the Japan Self-Defense Force to improve its amphibious combat capability and maritime combat capability.
In fact, the V-22 Osprey transport plane purchased by the Japan Self-Defense Force had been delivered to the Self-Defense Force before. However, due to concerns about the safety of the people in Japan, the V-22 has not been able to find a suitable deployment location. Training in the United States.
Although the return trip of Japan's V-22 was delayed, the Japan Self-Defense Force has been strengthening the operation of the aircraft. In the United States-Japan joint exercise held in Japan, members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force often used the MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft deployed in Japan for training; and in the United States-Japan joint exercise held in the United States, the Japanese Self-Defense Force also dispatched V The -22 transport plane carried US soldiers to carry out exercises. It can be said that before the V-22 officially arrived in Japan, the Self-Defense Forces were already quite proficient in the operation of this model.
In addition to planning to deploy the Osprey to the Izumo-class quasi-aircraft carrier, another major reason for the introduction of the Osprey by the Japan Self-Defense Force was to equip it with the newly formed "Amphibious Land Regiment". The "land and water mobile regiment" provides support for vertical landing operations and further strengthens the "capture island" combat capability.
According to previous reports from Sankei Shimbun, the Japanese Ministry of Defense decided on March 21 that it will temporarily deploy two V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft at the ground self-defense force station in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture at the end of June. This will be the first time that the Self-Defense Force has deployed the "Osprey" transport aircraft in Japan, and will be tasked with transporting the "Seizure Forces" from the island self-defense force.
Although the Osprey transport aircraft has been criticized for its safety issues, the safety performance of the aircraft has been further improved after years of practical application and improvement. At present, the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy have equipped the aircraft in large quantities. The advantages of this tilt-rotor transport aircraft, such as large carrying capacity, flexible maneuverability and fast flight speed, have gradually become prominent. The US Navy also plans to replace the C-2A "Greyhound" transport aircraft currently deployed on aircraft carriers with "Osprey", so that "Osprey" will play an important role in carrier-based carrier aircraft.