Japanese army chopper carrying 10 crew members vanishes from radar near Okinawa
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
A missing Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 crew membersis likely to have crashed into the water off a southern island after debrisresembling 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.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: