Japanese Military Helicopter Missing, Believed to Have Crashed in the Sea

During a press briefing, General Yasunori Morishita, who serves as the head of the Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF), stated that the UH60 troop transport, also known as the Black Hawk, vanished from radar tracking after departing from a GSDF base located in Miyakojima.

Mr Morishita added, “The aircraft was patrolling the waters around Miyakojima during an aerial reconnaissance mission.”

Miyakojima, which has been hosting GSDF mobile anti-ship missile launchers since 2019, is frequently traversed by Chinese navy vessels en route from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Over the past four days, at least three Chinese warships have passed by the island, escalating tensions due to the recent meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

It was not disclosed by Mr. Morishita whether the helicopter was engaged in monitoring any Chinese military operations.

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in comments broadcasted by NHK, “The government’s priority now is to rescue those who were on board.”

The Japanese Coast Guard and military vessels and planes, which discovered the wreckage of the helicopter in the water, are presently engaged in searching for the ten individuals on board, comprising four crew members and six passengers. Among those who are unaccounted for is Yuichi Sakamoto, a high-ranking commander in the GSDF.