A missing Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 crew members&nbsp;is likely to have crashed into the water off a southern island after debris&nbsp;resembling aircraft pieces were seen in the area, reported Los Angeles Times.

The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter vanished from radar on Thursday afternoon while on a reconnaissance mission north of Miyako island, according to Yasunori Morishita, the director of Japan's army's Ground Self Defence Force. 
 
Morishita said during a press conference that debris believed to be aircraft pieces was discovered in the area, about 1,120 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, and added that rescue efforts continued for the pilots, mechanics and other members. 
 
In response to China's increasingly assertive military operations in the region, particularly Taiwan, the Japanese government is aggressively boosting its defence capability in southwestern Japan.

According to Kyodo News, Japanese coast guard ships discovered evidence of oil and debris that could be linked to the missing helicopter, but officials have yet to corroborate the report.

Morishita stated that the helicopter vanished from radar earlier than previously supposed.

According to NHK public television, the helicopter vanished from radar about an hour after departing from a base on Miyako island and about half an hour before its anticipated return.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the Defence Ministry was investigating the incident. 
 
&nbsp;

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A missing Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 crew members is likely to have crashed into the water off a southern island after debris resembling aircraft pieces were seen in the area, reported Los Angeles Times.

A missing Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 crew members is likely to have crashed into the water off a southern island after debris resembling aircraft pieces were seen in the area, reported Los Angeles Times. The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter vanished from radar on Thursday afternoon while on a reconnaissance mission north of Miyako island, according to Yasunori Morishita, the director of Japan's army's Ground Self Defence Force. Morishita said during a press conference that debris believed to be aircraft pieces was discovered in the area, about 1,120 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, and added that rescue efforts continued for the pilots, mechanics and other members. In response to China's increasingly assertive military operations in the region, particularly Taiwan, the Japanese government is aggressively boosting its defence capability in southwestern Japan. According to Kyodo News, Japanese coast guard ships discovered evidence of oil and debris that could be linked to the missing helicopter, but officials have yet to corroborate the report. Morishita stated that the helicopter vanished from radar earlier than previously supposed. According to NHK public television, the helicopter vanished from radar about an hour after departing from a base on Miyako island and about half an hour before its anticipated return. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the Defence Ministry was investigating the incident. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Japanese army chopper carrying 10 crew members vanishes from radar near Okinawa

One crew member was confirmed dead and another was missing Monday after a Japanese military helicopter crashed in a residential area in the southwest of the country, reportedly injuring a local girl and setting a home on fire.

A 26-year-old co-pilot was found unconscious following the crash in the town of Kanzaki and later confirmed dead, a defence ministry spokesman said.

&quot;We are still searching for the 43-year-old pilot,&quot; the spokesman told AFP, retracting earlier remarks made by Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, who said both crew members on board were retrieved &quot;in a state of cardiac and respiratory arrest.&quot;

That language is often used by Japanese officials before deaths are officially confirmed.

Quoting local fire department officials, the Asahi Shimbun daily said an 11-year-old girl who was in the house when the helicopter crashed was sent to hospital after injuring her knee.

Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.

Japan&#39;s NHK television showed a thick plume of grey smoke rising from the site of the crash in between the rooftops of local houses, some 300 metres (1,000 feet) away from an elementary school.

Local firefighters could be seen running through the streets with red fire hoses as people were evacuated from the area.

&quot;I heard something like a rumbling of the earth,&quot; a woman living near the crash site told NHK.

&quot;I rushed out there and saw a blaze and black smoke. It&#39;s impossible that this happens in such a place.&quot;

Onodera earlier told reporters the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter had gone down in Japan&#39;s Saga region and &quot;burst into flames&quot;.

Local officials confirmed the crash site was a residential area, adding one home had caught fire. The local fire authority said it had sent 14 fire engines and three ambulances to the site.

The incident revived memories of a 2016 crash in which a Japanese air force jet with six people aboard went missing in mountainous terrain.&nbsp;

Four bodies were later recovered.

There has also been a string of accidents involving US military helicopters that have fuelled opposition to their presence in the country.

The latest was a UH-1 helicopter that was forced into an emergency landing last month on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

No one was hurt in that incident, which officials blamed on a faulty rotor blade.

Japan&#39;s Self-Defence Forces (SDF) have been banned from waging any kind of combat beyond defence of the nation since the US-imposed constitution of 1947 that followed the carnage of World War II.

They have been deployed overseas in peacekeeping missions, some of which have proved controversial at home.&nbsp;

And while the SDF is strictly limited in terms of the scope of its military activity, Japan nonetheless boasts an impressive array of weaponry with highly trained personnel.

The helicopter crashed in a residential area in the town of Kanzaki

One crew member was confirmed dead and another was missing Monday after a Japanese military helicopter crashed in a residential area in the southwest of the country, reportedly injuring a local girl and setting a home on fire. A 26-year-old co-pilot was found unconscious following the crash in the town of Kanzaki and later confirmed dead, a defence ministry spokesman said. "We are still searching for the 43-year-old pilot," the spokesman told AFP, retracting earlier remarks made by Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, who said both crew members on board were retrieved "in a state of cardiac and respiratory arrest." That language is often used by Japanese officials before deaths are officially confirmed. Quoting local fire department officials, the Asahi Shimbun daily said an 11-year-old girl who was in the house when the helicopter crashed was sent to hospital after injuring her knee. Immediate confirmation of the report was not available. Japan's NHK television showed a thick plume of grey smoke rising from the site of the crash in between the rooftops of local houses, some 300 metres (1,000 feet) away from an elementary school. Local firefighters could be seen running through the streets with red fire hoses as people were evacuated from the area. "I heard something like a rumbling of the earth," a woman living near the crash site told NHK. "I rushed out there and saw a blaze and black smoke. It's impossible that this happens in such a place." Onodera earlier told reporters the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter had gone down in Japan's Saga region and "burst into flames". Local officials confirmed the crash site was a residential area, adding one home had caught fire. The local fire authority said it had sent 14 fire engines and three ambulances to the site. The incident revived memories of a 2016 crash in which a Japanese air force jet with six people aboard went missing in mountainous terrain. Four bodies were later recovered. There has also been a string of accidents involving US military helicopters that have fuelled opposition to their presence in the country. The latest was a UH-1 helicopter that was forced into an emergency landing last month on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. No one was hurt in that incident, which officials blamed on a faulty rotor blade. Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) have been banned from waging any kind of combat beyond defence of the nation since the US-imposed constitution of 1947 that followed the carnage of World War II. They have been deployed overseas in peacekeeping missions, some of which have proved controversial at home. And while the SDF is strictly limited in terms of the scope of its military activity, Japan nonetheless boasts an impressive array of weaponry with highly trained personnel.

One crew dead, another missing in Japan Army helicopter crash

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Japanese army chopper carrying 10 crew members vanishes from radar near Okinawa

One crew dead, another missing in Japan Army helicopter crash