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Japan V-22 Fleet to relocate from Kisarazu to Saga
Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani recently announced that from Jul. 9, 2025 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Osprey tiltrotors will relocate to a permanent base at Camp Saga, located next to Saga Airport, USNI News reports. The V-22s are currently based at Camp Kisarazu.
According to Nakatani the relocation of the Ospreys is aimed at enabling them to operate in unison with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARBD) based at Camp Ainoura, Sasebo, in Nagasaki Prefecture, “Currently, we are working on the preparation of facilities necessary for the relocation of the Ospreys in preparation for the opening of the garrison, and construction is progressing smoothly toward completion by the end of June this year”, he said, adding that the base would be opened on Jul 9.
When it opens the Ospreys will be flown to the base one by one by the JGSDF Air Transport Squadron, which operates the V-22s. The redeployment is set to be completed in mid-August.
Kisarazu has served as a joint Japan-US maintenance center for Ospreys since January 2017. According to Alert 5, even after all 17 aircraft are relocated, the Kisarazu facility will continue to receive Osprey aircraft periodically for regular maintenance.
Mayor Watanabe stated, “We will continue to monitor the operation of Osprey and other Self-Defense Force aircraft and work on base countermeasures.”
Akira Nonaka from the citizens’ group “No Ospreys Needed Residents Association” noted, “They’ve only left Kisarazu. The maintenance center remains, so we must consider Saga’s situation as well while exploring new approaches to our movement.”
A source of concern and dissent
JGSDF began V-22 flight operations at Kisarazu Air Field on Nov.6, 2020 becoming the first international partner to fly the US military aircraft. The deployment at Camp Kisarazu was agreed with the local government to be set for a five year period. Moreover, Camp Kisarazu also host a joint US – Japan depot level maintenance facility for JGSDF Ospreys and US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys based in Japan since 2017.
The operations of both JGSDF and US Ospreys around Japan have been a source of concern and dissent by the Japanese public along with Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki. The crash in November 2023 off Yakushima Island near Kyushu of an Air Force Special Operations (AFSOC) CV-22B also added to opposition to Osprey operations in Japan.
Plans to base the Ospreys at Saga date back to 2018 but delays in negotiations with local fishing cooperatives pushed back construction at that site.
Given that the Japan held Senkaku Islands being claimed by China, Tokyo could respond to any crisis situation in its southwest islands with Ospreys being deployed close to the ARDB. The waters in the area are seeing increased Chinese military activity and its proximity to Taiwan.
The Osprey
In addition to the JGSDF, the V-22 is critical to three U.S. branches of military, the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. For the U.S. Special Operations Forces, the CV-22 supports long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions. The Marine Corps’ MV-22B provides assault support transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment during expeditionary, joint or combined operations. The CMV-22B is the Navy’s carrier onboard delivery replacement aircraft, currently in flight test.
The V-22 is a joint service, multi-mission aircraft with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability. It performs VTOL missions as effectively as a conventional helicopter while also having the long-range cruise abilities of a twin turboprop aircraft.
The USMC is the lead service in the development of the Osprey. The USMC version, the MV-22A, is an assault transport for troops, equipment and supplies, and is capable of operating from ships or from expeditionary airfields ashore.
Photo credit: Japan Ground Self Defense Force
