Japan ‘concerned’ US continues to fly Ospreys despite grounding request

Japan is concerned that the U.S. military is continuing to fly Osprey aircraft despite its request to ground them until their safety is confirmed after an accident this week, Japan’s top government spokesperson said on Friday.
Japan, a key U.S. ally, had sought the suspension of all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after one fell into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan. Japan’s Coast Guard has said one person was found and confirmed dead, and the search for the remaining seven aboard continues.
The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was still flying Ospreys for now, and that it was not aware of any official request for their grounding.
Asked about that statement, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said Tokyo had “officially” made the request.