Local Officials Reportedly Not Happy With The Decision

The U.S. military says it will resume HH-60 flights in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture Friday over the objections of local officials who want the aircraft to remain grounded. An HH-60 was involved in an accident with one fatality on August 5, prompting the stand down.

Air Force officials at Kaneda Air Base said the flights needed to resume so that pilots could retain their proficiency, but local leaders are not satisfied with that explanation, according to a report from The Asahi Shimbun.

Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga said Wednesday that the Japanese government has "demanded the cause of the accident first be determined." He called the relationship between the U.S. and Japan "unequal."

"I'm tired of being angry," he said. "Whatever we demand, nothing has been accepted."

Flights will resume over the objections of Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, who has repeatedly called on the U.S. to refrain from doing so until the cause of the accident is determined.

The head of the Okinawa governor’s office, Susumu Matayoshi, said that while he is appreciative of the U.S. allowing Japanese officials to attend the session explaining the rationale, he is still disappointed that the flights would resume. “We can see they are trying to provide a polite explanation and are taking the accident seriously,” he said.

(HH-60 image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil