Japanese Army Helicopter With 10 Crew Members Goes Missing, Search Ops On: Report

The coast guard reported that a Ground Self-Defense Force UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter went missing from radar during a mission Thursday evening in a location north of Miyako island.

Representational Image. (File Photo)

The Japanese coast guard is looking for an army helicopter carrying ten crew members that went missing off the shore of a southern Japanese island, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.

The coast guard reported that a Ground Self-Defense Force UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter went missing from radar during a mission Thursday evening in a location north of Miyako island.

Four patrol ships are taking part in the search, but no evidence of the missing aircraft has been located, according to the report.

The disappearance near Japan's main island occurred at a time when the country is rapidly beefing up its defence in the region in reaction to China's more assertive military activities in the region's seas, where tensions are also mounting surrounding Taiwan.

According to Kyodo News, Japanese coast guard ships discovered evidence of oil and debris that might be linked to the missing helicopter, but officials refused to corroborate the allegation.

The Ground Self-Defense Force, or Japanese army, claimed the helicopter was on a surveillance mission to Miyako island from a base in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu.

According to NHK public television, the helicopter vanished from radar about an hour after leaving a base on Miyako island and about half an hour before its expected return.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the Defense Ministry is investigating and that "we will do all in our power to save their lives."

(With Inputs From AP)