 |
| V-22 Osprey |
TOKYO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Officials from Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Monday set up drills to investigate noise levels of the controversial U.S. Osprey transportation aircraft at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, close to Tokyo.
The exercises to monitor the noise levels of the tilt-rotor planes, that can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like a regular aircraft, were conducted at the GSDF's camp Kisarazu which will be responsible for maintaining the aircraft from early next year.
The Ospreys will be deployed from the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, central to a relocation dispute between local officials in Okinawa and the central government, with the planes having garnered a great deal of criticism from local officials and citizens here for its checkered safety record as well as its excessive noise.
The exercises conducted Monday saw the MOD record the noise levels from two Ospreys as they both flew and hovered around the GSDF base, with the levels compared to that of the GSDF's CH47 transport helicopter conducting the same maneuvers. The results of the test have yet to be released.
Read the full story at Xinhua