A Japanese V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft is shown in this undated photo. The first of Japan's fleet of 17 Ospreys arrived at its permanent home at Camp Saga on Kyushu, July 9, 2025. (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)
Japan’s army has begun relocating its fleet of V-22 Osprey aircraft to a new base on the southern island of Kyushu, part of an effort to beef up its presence near disputed islands amid aggressive moves by China.
The first of 17 tiltrotors operated by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force arrived Wednesday morning at Camp Saga, a newly constructed base in Saga prefecture, a Ground Staff spokesman said by phone that day.
The base, built on former farmland west of Saga Airport, was slated to officially open the same day, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
A single Osprey arrived from Camp Kisarazu in Chiba prefecture after stopping at Camp Takayubaru in Kumamoto prefecture, southeast of Saga. The remaining aircraft will transfer from Kisarazu by mid-August, the spokesman said, though he did not provide a detailed timeline. It’s customary in Japan that some government officials speak to the press on condition of anonymity.
The aircraft had been temporarily based at Kisarazu, east of Tokyo, since 2020.
From their new location, the tiltrotors are expected to operate in conjunction with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade stationed at Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, about 45 miles west, Nakatani said.
“The security environment surrounding our country has become increasingly severe in recent years, and strengthening our island defense capabilities, including the Nansei region, has become an urgent issue for our country’s defense,” he said.
On June 23, Nakatani met on Okinawa with Marine Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, to discuss expanding joint operations in the Nansei region, he told reporters that day.
The Nansei islands, also known as the Ryukyus, include Okinawa and extend from Kyushu to Taiwan, encompassing Japan’s westernmost island of Yonaguni.
The move comes as regional tensions escalate. Last month, China conducted Pacific military drills involving both of its aircraft carriers – the Shandong and Liaoning – for the first time. During the June 7-8 training, Chinese fighter jets came within 150 feet of Japanese patrol aircraft, according to a June 11 release from Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
Camp Saga is also expected to absorb 50 helicopters stationed at Camp Metabaru, about 15 miles north of Saga city. Between 700 and 800 personnel will be based at the new installation, including about 420 assigned to the Osprey wing, Takeshi Hirao, then-director of Saga’s policy division, said during a February prefectural assembly meeting.
Camp Saga includes offices, aircraft hangars, a parking apron, ammunition storage facilities, fuel tanks and two runway access roads, according to ministry plans. Construction was completed June 30, the Ground Staff spokesman said.
