Two Japanese Navy helicopters crash

Two Japanese naval helicopters crashed into the sea during a training exercise, killing at least one of the eight crew members on board, the defense minister said on Sunday.

The two SH-60 patrol helicopters were conducting anti-submarine exercises near Torishima in the remote Izu island group, off the south coast of central Japan, on Saturday evening.

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told a news conference that the cause of the crash was under investigation. The two flight recorders had been discovered close to each other and there was a good chance the two helicopters had collided, he added.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) and the Coast Guard are searching for the remaining seven crew members.

Earlier on Saturday, MSDF Chief of Staff Yoshitaka Sakai indicated he did not believe another country was involved in the crash.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel offered his country’s assistance in search and rescue efforts.

(Reuters – Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)