“鱼鹰”运输机成美日防务焦点

Japan's defense minister and other officials getting an up-close look in an Osprey, a controversial half-plane and half-helicopter, the US military wants to station several of the aircraft at a base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, but the Osprey has been plagued by crashes and safety concerns have sparked a public uproar in Japan.

On Friday, Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto met with US counterpart Leon Panetta in Washington to discuss the aircraft which Panetta called perfectly safe.

“We have tremendous confidence in this plane, we fly it in combat operations, we fly it around the world, we fly it here in this country. ”

Morimoto said a committee would take an independent look at the Osprey’s safety record before making any decision. The Osprey plan is part of a larger US effort to re-balance its forces in the Pacific.

Andrew Raven, Reuters.