The Iwakuni base is expected to be the third facility in Japan to host the U.S. Osprey. The plan sparked trepidation among local residents due to the tilt-rotor aircraft's history of accidents.

The Iwakuni city government had submitted a request to the Chugoku-Shikoku Defense Bureau to not make it accepted practice to unload all Ospreys to be based in Japan at Iwakuni port. Ospreys have ...