An MV-22 Osprey made an emergency landing in Japan on Monday.
The aircraft was travelling to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa when it was forced to make an emergency landing at a public airport, according to Japan Today.
The emergency landing was a precautionary measure taken because of a possible instrument malfunction, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told the newspaper.
Japan has previously requested that the U.S. cease MV-22 Osprey operations over the country. The Japanese government has expressed safety concerns over the tilt-rotor aircraft since the Osprey was first deployed in 2012.
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Spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said: “We also always take the safety of all of our operations, not just MV-22s, very seriously and we recognize we are guests of the government of Japan there.”
“I would also say though these are forces, these are capabilities, these are assets specifically for the defense of Japan. So we’ll continue to talk with the government of Japan.”
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Tensions with North Korea make Marine Corps readiness in the region even more vital.
North Korea’s recent launch of a ballistic missile was designed to carry a nuclear payload directly over Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more missile launches in the Pacific, specifically targeting the U.S. territory of Guam.
Mackenzie Wolf is an editorial intern for Military Times.
