U.S. Ospreys win Japanese hearts and minds with quake relief flights

A U.S. soldier stand near the U.S. MV-22 Osprey aircraft at the Iwakuni U.S. marines air station in southern Japan, April 22, 2016. Picture taken April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Timothy Kelly

IWAKUNI, Japan (Reuters) - The U.S. military's MV-22 Osprey aircraft has been a lightning rod for opposition to U.S. bases in Japan since 24 of them were deployed on the southern island of Okinawa in 2014.

By sending eight of the tilt-rotor Ospreys to help with relief efforts for survivors of recent earthquakes on Kyushu island, both U.S. and Japanese military planners have been able to showcase an aircraft they see as necessary for Japan's defence.