Low-altitude flights by U.S. Marine Corps Osprey transport aircraft deployed to Okinawa are newly being allowed in other parts of the country at full scale under a fresh bilateral agreement.
The Japanese and U.S. governments have agreed to lower the minimum safe altitude for flight training by U.S. Ospreys in mountainous areas of Japan, outside Okinawa, to about 60 meters, from around the 150 meters conventionally in line with Japan's aviation law.
The change took effect on July 10 after Tokyo accepted a request from Washington to provide places for practical training for the Ospreys.