2 Japanese Military Helicopters Crash, Leaving 1 Dead and 7 Missing

The reports said that one person was rescued in a late Saturday incident as confirmed by a spokesman for Japan’s Self-Defense Force (SDF). However, the rescued person was later confirmed dead. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara mentioned that the helicopters were conducting drills to counter submarines at night.

The cause of the incident is currently unknown, but efforts are being made to save lives and the ministry is analyzing the possibility of a collision between the two helicopters. The incident took place during night-time training off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The helicopters were identified as Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF).

Communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area shortly after the incident. There were no other aircraft or vessels in nearby waters, making the involvement of another country in the incident unlikely. Japan has been increasing defense spending and enhancing cooperation with the United States and other countries in response to growing Chinese assertiveness in the region and an unpredictable North Korea.

In previous incidents, a Japanese army helicopter with 10 people on board crashed off Miyako island, with no survivors, and a Japanese fighter jet crashed in waters off central Ishikawa region, killing two pilots on board. Additionally, in 2019, an F-35A stealth jet crashed into the sea after taking off from northeastern Japan on a training mission, resulting in the death of the pilot who appeared to have suffered spatial disorientation. Last November, an Osprey military aircraft belonging to the US military crashed off Japan, killing all eight people on board, leading to a decision by the United States to ground the tilt-rotor aircraft worldwide.

Japan also grounded its fleet of the same aircraft.