A Japanese Look at the Osprey in the Pacific

09/03/2012

2012-09-03 This video provides a Japanese perspective on the deployment of the Osprey in the Asia Pacific region.

It was produced by NHK News and aired on July 24, 2012.

It has been provided to SLD by Shin Shoji from NHK TV Japan.

A translation of the video has been provided to SLD and appears below for downloading.

Osprey Deployment- Strategic Meaning

One point made during the presentation is as follows:

“A characteristic of the Marine Corps is that it is equipped with its own air elment in addition to its land element.  In the exercise, attack helicopters also participated.  It was aiding land forces.

To cope with China, which is rapidly pushing forward maritime advance, the Marine Corps is shifting its strategic point to the Pacific region.  It is stationing Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTF) which packages air and ground elements in Okinawa, Guam, Hawaii and Australia.  The Osprey is a pivot in this approach.”

We are publishing a series on the evolution of Japanese defense and security policy and this video and some others provided by NHK provides a Japanese perspective on some of the Pacific strategy issues facing the U.S. and its allies in the decade ahead.