PATROL ships are scrambling to find a Japanese military helicopter after it vanished off radars near Taiwan with 10 crew members on board.
Japan’s coast guard said the Black Hawk chopper disappeared in the East China Sea while on a surveillance mission on Thursday evening.
Four patrol ships are searching for the helicopter[/caption]
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter vanished off radars during a surveillance mission[/caption]
It said four patrol ships have been dispatched to lead the search.
The disappearance comes as the country beefs up its defence in response to China’s growing military activity in the region over Taiwan.
Kyodo News said Japanese coast guard ships have found traces of oil and debris that could be related to the missing helicopter.
Minister of Defence officials said a patrol ship found what appeared to be the helicopter’s rotor in the sea, according to local reports.
Japan Coast Guard confirmed a lifeboat was found with the words “Ground Self-Defense Force” written on it.
The chopper, belonging to Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, had two pilots, two mechanics, and six crew members on board.
According to local media reports, senior Japanese army commander Yuichi Sakamoto was on the helicopter.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said: “We will do our utmost to save their lives.”
The chief of staff of the Japanese army said: “The radar track disappeared in the ocean north-northwest of Miyako Island.
“Based on the discovered debris, it is presumed to be an aircraft accident.”
The Japanese army said the aircraft belongs to a base in on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu and was visiting Miyako Island on a surveillance mission.
NHK public television said the chopper vanished from radar about an hour after it departed from Miyako Island and half an hour before its scheduled return.
Located about 400km east of Taiwan, Miyako Island is home to the Japanese army’s missile unit.
In 2016, six people were killed after an Air Self-Defense Force U-125 inspection plane crashed in the mountains in Kagoshima.
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Source: Ten feared dead as military helicopter vanishes near Okinawa as debris found in sea off Japan
Category: News, World News
