Minister of Defense Kishi will board the Osprey transport aircraft temporarily deployed at the Ground Self-Defense Force Kisarazu station in Chiba Prefecture to ensure safe operation and obtain local consent for deployment at Saga Airport. , Showed the idea of taking necessary measures.
The Ministry of Defense plans to deploy 17 Osprey transport aircraft of the Ground Self-Defense Force at Saga Airport in Saga Prefecture with the defense of the Nansei Islands in mind. It has been provisionally deployed at the Kisarazu station since March.
On the 29th, Minister of Defense Kishi visited the Kisarazu station, boarded the Osprey for the first time, and flew over Tokyo Bay for about 10 minutes.
Seven Ospreys have been deployed at the Kisarazu station so far, and the Ministry of Defense says that the provisional deployment will be until July 2025, three and a half years later.
Minister Kishi told reporters, "We have confirmed stable flight. Osprey has extremely high performance and is indispensable for the performance of the SDF's mission, and we would like to make every effort to ensure safe operation."
On that basis, Minister Kishi expressed his intention to take necessary measures such as presenting an estimate of the purchase price of the land to be developed as a garrison so that the local consent can be obtained for the deployment to Saga Airport.