One dead, seven missing after two Japanese military helicopters crash

NEW DELHI: One person died while seven others were reported missing on Sunday following a presumed accident overnight involving two Japanese military helicopters at sea, according to officials.
A spokesperson for Japan's Self-Defense Force (SDF) confirmed the incident late Saturday, confirming that one person was initially rescued but later confirmed deceased.
Defense minister Minoru Kihara said that rescuers identified potential remnants of the aircraft in the sea, indicating a probable collision between the two helicopters. Kihara emphasized the current lack of clarity regarding the cause but underscored the priority of life-saving efforts.
The helicopters were engaged in nighttime drills targeting submarine threats, Kihara informed. However, he later updated that the rescued crew member was tragically confirmed dead.
Flight recorders were recovered by the ministry for analysis, including the possibility of a collision as a contributing factor to the incident.
The helicopters are believed to have crashed during training off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean, as reported by NHK. Communication with one helicopter was severed at 10:38 pm (1338 GMT) near Torishima Island, followed by an emergency signal one minute later. Approximately 25 minutes later, communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same vicinity.
The Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) primarily operate from naval destroyers. NHK reported that given the absence of other aircraft or vessels nearby, the involvement of another nation in the incident seems improbable.
Japan's bolstered defense spending and increased cooperation with the United States and other Asian countries come in response to escalating Chinese assertiveness and the unpredictable North Korean situation in the region.
Last April, a Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 individuals crashed off Miyako Island in southern Okinawa, resulting in no survivors. Similarly, in January 2022, a Japanese fighter jet crashed off the central Ishikawa region, claiming the lives of two pilots.
In a previous incident in 2019, an F-35A stealth jet crashed into the sea post-takeoff from northeastern Japan during a training mission, resulting in the pilot's death due to apparent spatial disorientation.
Moreover, in November of the same year, a US military Osprey aircraft crashed off Japan, claiming the lives of all eight individuals on board, marking another tragic episode in a series of fatal accidents. Subsequently, the United States and Japan decided to ground their fleets of the same aircraft.
(With agency inputs)