The Japanese navy is continuing its search for seven crew in the Pacific Ocean after the apparent crash of two helicopters on Saturday night, which killed at least one crewman.Rescuers have so far recovered the body of one man, as well as black boxes and debris, but are yet to find the others.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mourned the tragedy in parliament on Monday.
"We regret to inform you that we have lost some of our personnel during a difficult and challenging training mission late last night," said the spokesperson. The cause of the crash, which happened near the Izu Islands, approximately 600km (372 miles) south of Tokyo, is still unknown. According to Japan's Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, the flight data from both helicopters did not indicate any technical issues, leaving the cause of the incident a mystery. "Our priority right now is to save lives, and we are working on it," emphasized Mr Kihara on Sunday, adding that the helicopters were involved in night-time counter-submarine exercises.
The two helicopters were both carrying four crew during the drills on Saturday night.
Communication with one helicopter was lost at 22:38 local time (14:38 BST) off the island of Torishima, broadcaster NHK reported,
After 25 minutes, the military realized communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area. Authorities launched a major search operation using 10 ships and five aircraft to scour the waters. "We have a 24-hour operation for the search, which took place all day and all night," a navy officer told AFP news agency.
Crews have recovered the body of one man and found the flight recorders along with debris, including parts of rotor blades, near each other. The Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters, which are based on the Sikorsky Seahawk, primarily operate from naval destroyers. The navy has stated that since there were no other aircraft or vessels in the nearby waters, the involvement of another country in the incident is unlikely. Japan has increased its defense spending and strengthened its cooperation with the United States, South Korea, and other countries in Asia in response to China's growing assertiveness in the region.
In April 2023 a Japanese army helicopter with 10 people on board crashed off Miyako island in southern Okinawa prefecture. The UH60 helicopter, known as a Black Hawk, had been surveying the local area at the time it disappeared. A senior Ground Self Defence Force commander, Lt Gen Yuichi Sakamoto, was among those on the flight. There were no survivors.
