Seeing through the Deceit of the US and Japanese Governments

10 prefectural governors have spoken out concerning the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey.* The governors have stated their disapproval with regards to the Okinawan deployment, the low altitude test flights, or both. A survey which was distributed to the 47 prefectural governors by the Ryukyushimpo newspaper found that this opposition is due to an inability to adequately confirm the safety of the aircraft.

Even if this problem concerns defense and diplomacy, which falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the national government, it is no surprise that a deployment that threatens the lives and property of the citizenry would raise objections from governors, whose viewpoint stresses the protection of their citizens. 41 of the governors are worried about the Osprey’s safety record and feel that the government’s explanation is inadequate.

The seven prefectural governors of Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kouchi and Okinawa have clearly stated their opposition to the Osprey deployment in Okinawa due to their concerns over its safety. The eight prefectural governors of Yamagata, Nagano, Wakayama, Okayama, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Ehime and Kouchi are against the low altitude test flights over Honshu.

The lack of opposition from the areas not directly affected by the test flights is conspicuous. It is undeniable that there is a lack of shared sense of concern among the various governors. An information gap is the likely culprit for this discrepancy.

The Osprey’s mishap rate is 1.93 per 100,000 flight hours for the Marine Corps MV-22 and 13.47 for the Air Force CV-22. The U.S. government uses Class A Mishaps, accidents that cause more than $2,000,000 in damages or deaths, to calculate the Osprey’s mishap rate.

However, when also taking into account Class B Mishaps (accidents resulting in damages from $500,000 to $2,000,000 dollars or injuries resulting in permanent disability) and Class C Mishaps (damages up to $500,000 dollars or minor injuries), the MV-22 has had 30 accidents since 2006 and the CV-22 has had 31 since October 2005. The act of excluding Class B and C Mishaps from the mishap rate is deceitful.

Both the U.S. and Japanese governments are also hiding or underestimating performance issues that have been identified by U.S. specialists. The concealment of these crucial problems by both governments is tantamount to a criminal act.

Both governments must take seriously the fact that the prefectural governors, who approve of the U.S.-Japan alliance, see the Osprey’s deployment and low altitude test flights as a serious problem.

This issue has become more than just the acceptance of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty; it is a serious problem that can result in injuries and deaths. If they push ahead with a deployment strategy that brushes away people’s civil liberties and devalues their lives, the opposition will eventually grow into something that no one can control. It is high time that both governments realized the stupidity of prioritizing military affairs and the narrow-mindedness that has put them on the path to destroying the relationship between the U.S. and Japan.

*Editor’s note: The Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but has wings and can fly like a plane.