Japan bans US Osprey planes over safety concerns

07/24/12: Al Jazeera reports Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced Tuesday that he will not allow the US military to fly its newest transport aircraft in his country until safety concerns are first addressed.  Noda said no flights of the MV-22 Osprey aircraft would be allowed to take place until investigations into two recent crashes were completed.  The crashes took place in April and June, and Japan says that it will not allow them to operate over its airspace and from its soil until the government is satisfied that safety checks have been completed.  The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft with rotors that allow it to take off like a helicopter and engines that can tilt forward, enabling it to fly like an airplane at higher speed than helicopters.