Troubled Osprey Aircraft Used in US-Japan Drills Despite Public Backlash

US troops deployed to Japan have used MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in joint military exercises on the Asian nation's Hokkaido island for the first time since the crash of an Osprey on August 5, local media reported Friday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — According to the Kyodo news agency, two Ospreys flew from the Misawa Air Base to participate in the drills in Hollaido, however one of them landed due to adverse weather conditions.

The drills with the participation of the aircraft started on August 10 and will continue until August 28, the news outlet added.

#Hokkaido government demands guarantee that #Japan-US Osprey aircraft drills are safe https://t.co/gz7nbarUqB pic.twitter.com/4Kqm5dIujc

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) August 15, 2017

​The news outlet added that several dozen of the Japanese island's residents protested against the drills with the participation of Ospreys due to a history of deadly incidents involving these aircraft.

Initially, Osprey aircraft were supposed to take part in the drills since the first day of the military exercise. However, the Japanese Defense Ministry requested the US Defense Department to suspend Osprey's flights over the country, following the aircraft's crash in waters off Australia on August 5.

However, on August 11, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Ospreys had been given clearance for flights after US investigators ruled out mechanical failures as the cause of the fatal crash off Australia.