Japan grounds Ospreys after U.S. Air Force safety concerns

Saga – The Ground Self-Defense Force has temporarily grounded its V-22 Osprey fleet based at a camp east of Tokyo after the U.S. Air Force halted flights of its fleet over safety concerns, the Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The suspension of flights for the tilt-rotor aircraft stationed at Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture came after the U.S. Air Force directed a “safety standdown” of its CV-22 fleet on Tuesday due to a clutch malfunction inside the plane’s gearboxes.