In a significant development, the Pentagon has announced that it will lift the ban on flights by the grounded V-22 Osprey next week. The decision comes after a high-level meeting, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin endorsed the military services' plans for a safe and measured return to operations, according to anonymous U.S. officials.

The Naval Air Systems Command, which grounded the controversial tilt-rotor aircraft three months ago, will be responsible for lifting the ban and allowing the services to begin implementing their plans to get the Osprey back into the air. Defense Secretary Austin held a meeting with top service leaders, including those from the Navy and Air Force, on Friday morning.

The V-22 Osprey has been grounded for nearly three months since a tragic crash in Japan on November 29th, which claimed the lives of eight service members. The incident in Japan, as well as an earlier crash in Australia in August that killed three Marines, are still under investigation.

While the decision to end the flight ban rests with the Naval Air Systems Command, Defense Secretary Austin requested an informational briefing on the matter due to the significant safety concerns and the involvement of three U.S. military services and a critical ally in the program. Though he does not have direct approval authority, his endorsement of the services' plan is considered crucial.

In the past few months, the military services have worked diligently on plans to mitigate the known material failure by conducting additional safety checks and establishing a more conservative approach to operating the Osprey.

Officials have also stated that the U.S. military will share its plans with Japan, the only international partner in the Osprey program. Japan had grounded its fleet of 14 V-22s following the November crash. The U.S. Marine Corps had previously used Ospreys routinely in Japan.

Out of respect for Japan and the sensitive opinions regarding the Osprey in the country, the U.S. is committed to a safe process and will not resume flights in Japan until the Japanese government has been briefed on the services' plan. The head of the Naval Air Systems Command is expected to travel to Japan next week to personally brief the Ministry of Defense.

The Osprey, a military aircraft capable of taking off like a helicopter and flying like an airplane, has faced renewed questions about its safety due to a series of accidents over the past two years.

The grounding of the Osprey has had a significant impact on the U.S. Marine Corps, which heavily relies on over 300 MV-22 Ospreys for its aviation missions. Additionally, the Air Force Special Operations Command operates around 50 CV-22B Ospreys, while the Navy plans to replace its C-2 Greyhounds with more than two dozen CMV-22 Ospreys for transporting passengers to aircraft carriers. Even the presidential fleet, which uses a limited number of Ospreys for various purposes, has been grounded.

As the ban is set to be lifted, the safety of the Osprey remains a top priority. The Pentagon's decision to resume flights will undoubtedly be closely monitored by both the U.S. military and its international allies.