Civic group based in Tokyo is complaining about USAF CV-22 Osprey flights with machine gun mounted on ramp

Civic group based in Tokyo is complaining about USAF CV-22 Osprey flights with machine gun mounted on ramp

By Dario Leone
May 11 2021
Share this article

Of the CV-22 Osprey flights that were witnessed flying over residential areas in the year starting at the end of June 2018, 30 were found to have been flying with their machine guns visible from the outside, with seven such sightings that took place in just a month.

US Air Force’s CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft deployed to Yokota Air Base (AB) in western Tokyo have frequently been seen flying with machine guns facing outward toward residential areas by local residents and others.

The civic group Hamura Heiwa Iinkai — or Hamura Peace Committee — based in the Tokyo suburb of Hamura, confirmed a total of around 40 aircraft flying in such a position for over a year starting June 2018, Mainichi Shimbun reports. Even though it is possible to hide the machine gun from the outside, such flights have taken place even this year, angering local residents who say, “We cannot tolerate such flights, in which they conduct training pretending that our neighborhoods are targets, and therefore instilling fear in us.”

The CV-22 Osprey tiltrotors were officially deployed to Yokota base in October 2018.

Hamura Peace Committee that monitored activities before and after the Ospreys were deployed to Yokota, noted that of the CV-22s that were witnessed flying over residential areas in the year starting at the end of June 2018, 30 were found to have been flying with their machine guns visible from the outside, with seven such sightings that took place in just a month.

Once Two special operations Osprey squadrons (the 21st Special Operations Squadron and the 753rd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron stood up at Yokota AB) on Jul. 1, 2019, the number of the sightings became even more frequent. Between Jul. 3 and 11, a total of nine such flights were confirmed.

“We must not allow (the US military) to use the skies above our residential areas as training grounds, and our neighborhoods as targets,” The Hamura committee’s chief, Mieko Takahashi, 79, said. He’s also concerned about low-altitude flights, which create significant noise, and late-night flights.

To questions from the Mainichi Shimbun, US Forces Japan did not reveal details on the purpose of the flights, but responded in writing, “the regular flying configuration for the CV-22 Osprey does include a weapon secured at the rear of the plane in a safe position with no ammunition. All our air operations are conducted in accordance with the relevant agreements and regulations between the United States government and the Government of Japan. We make every effort to minimize our impact to local communities while ensuring we maintain proficiency in our flight operations for the defense of Japan.”

The CV-22 is the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) variant of the US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey.

The CV-22’s mission is to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces. Like the MV-22 Osprey, the CV-22 is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff, hover, and vertical landing qualities of a helicopter with the long-range, fuel efficiency and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. Those capabilities give this versatile, self-deployable aircraft the capability to conduct missions that would normally require both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

The CV-22 is equipped with integrated threat countermeasures, terrain-following radar, forward-looking infrared sensor, and other advanced avionics systems that allow it to operate at low altitude in adverse weather conditions and medium- to high-threat environments.

MV-22 Osprey print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. MV-22B Osprey, VMM-163 “Ridge Runners”, YP00, 168011

Photo credit: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK via Wikipedia


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices