US grounds entire V-22 Osprey fleet following fatal Japan crash

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Dec 2023 11:21

A unique US military aircraft has been ailed with multiple crashes that have killed dozens of US military personnel so far.

A US MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft, left, taxies after flying back to the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, September 6, 2023. (AP)

The US military announced on Wednesday the grounding of its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following a deadly crash off the coast of Japan.

The Air Force Special Operations Command explained that the move was to "mitigate risk while the investigation" into the cause of the crash that killed eight US troops on November 29 continues. The Naval Air Systems Command said it will follow the same procedure.

After being involved in three fatal accidents in around a year, the V-22 Osprey aircraft has lost its glamour, as the US has prided itself on the unique aircraft, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and rotate its propellers forward to fly like a turboprop aircraft.

The Osprey was a result of a joint project between aircraft manufacturer Boeing and helicopter specialist Bell. According to Bell's website, the US military currently owns and utilizes more than 400 Ospreys, highlighting the complexities that will emerge as a result of their grounding.

"Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time," the US Air Force said.

Interestingly, Japan has also suspended flights of its own Ospreys, asking the US military to do the same on Japanese territory.

A history of mishaps

In late August, an Osprey accident on Melville Island in northern Australia resulted in the tragic deaths of three US Marines. The cause of the incident remained unclear at the time.

Last year in Norway, four US Marines died when their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed during a NATO training exercise.

In 2017, another Osprey incident claimed the lives of three Marines when the aircraft crashed after colliding with the back of a transport ship while attempting to land at sea off Australia's northern coast.

The year 2016 witnessed an MV-22 Osprey crash-landing off Okinawa, leading the US Marines to temporarily ground the aircraft in Japan. The accident had sparked anger among local residents.

In 2000, 19 Marines lost their lives during Osprey drills in Arizona when the aircraft crashed.