During a nighttime training session on Saturday, two Japanese navy helicopters, each carrying four crew members, crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Torishima Island, about 370 miles south of Tokyo. The helicopters involved were SH-60K models, commonly used for anti-submarine training. The Defense Minister of Japan, Minoru Kihara, informed that one crew member was found deceased, while intensive search and rescue operations are ongoing for the seven others still unaccounted for.
Initial reports suggest that the helicopters likely collided with each other before crashing. The recovery of a flight data recorder, a blade from each helicopter, and other fragments in proximity support the collision theory. Following this incident, all training involving the SH-60 model has been temporarily halted pending a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash and to implement necessary safety measures.
The search and rescue efforts have been significantly scaled up, involving 12 warships and seven aircraft, with additional support from the Japan Coast Guard. U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, extended an offer of assistance, emphasizing solidarity with Japan during this challenging time.
The SH-60K Seahawks are primarily deployed on destroyers for various missions including anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue operations. Japan possesses about 70 of these modified helicopters, which are integral to the nation’s naval capabilities.
This crash adds to a series of unfortunate incidents involving Japanese military aircraft. Previous occurrences include the 2017 crash of an SH-60J Seahawk due to human error, and a more recent incident in 2021 involving two SH-60s that collided but resulted in no casualties. The Japanese military has been actively working to enhance safety protocols to prevent such accidents, particularly following a fatal crash of a UH-60 Blackhawk in 2021 that killed all 10 crew members.
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