U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is currently in Japan to meet with Japanese officials and reinforce the significance of their alliance, particularly in the face of escalating threats from China and North Korea. This visit coincides with mounting concerns regarding the safety of Osprey military aircraft, which have been grounded in the U.S. following a recent incident at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. The incident, attributed to weakened metal components, bore similarities to a fatal crash in southwestern Japan last year.
Despite the U.S. grounding, Ospreys operated by Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force remain unaffected. Japanese authorities are engaged in discussions with the U.S. military to address the issue appropriately, as confirmed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
