Japanese military helicopter missing at sea

Japan's Defense Ministry said on August 27 it was searching for three crew members on a military helicopter that lost contact off the coast.

A Japanese SH-60J anti-submarine warfare helicopter. Photo: US Navy.

According to information from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the SH-60J anti-submarine warfare helicopter of the Maritime Self-Defense Force lost contact in an area about 90 km off the coast of Aomori Prefecture on the night of August 26, Reuters reported. One member of the flight crew was rescued, while three others are still missing.

The Ministry of Defense has not yet announced what happened to the helicopter, whether it crashed into the sea or not. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is opening an investigation to clarify this suspicion.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said all helicopters of that type have been grounded. "We need to ensure flight safety," Onodera said.

Earlier this month, a CH-101 helicopter crashed while landing after training at Iwakuni Air Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, injuring four crew members./.

According to VNE