Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (proper) meets with reporters in Tokyo after a military helicopter went lacking on Thursday.

Kyodo News through AP

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Kyodo News through AP

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (proper) meets with reporters in Tokyo after a military helicopter went lacking on Thursday.

Kyodo News through AP

TOKYO — A lacking Japanese military helicopter carrying 10 crew members is believed to have crashed into the ocean off a southern island after objects showing to be plane components had been noticed within the space, an official mentioned Thursday.

The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared from radar on Thursday afternoon whereas on a reconnaissance mission north of Miyako island, the top of the Ground Self Defense Force, Yasunori Morishita, mentioned at a information convention.

Debris believed to be plane components was noticed within the space, about 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) southwest of Tokyo, he mentioned.

The authorities is aggressively build up its protection functionality in southwestern Japan in response to China’s more and more assertive army exercise within the area, together with Taiwan.

Kyodo News mentioned Japanese coast guard ships additionally discovered traces of oil that could be associated to the lacking helicopter, however officers declined to verify the report.

Morishita mentioned the helicopter was stationed at a key regional military base in Kumamoto prefecture on the southern major island of Kyushu, and one among its 10 crew members is the division commander, Yuichi Sakamoto.

Morishita mentioned the helicopter disappeared from radar sooner than beforehand thought.

NHK public tv earlier mentioned the helicopter disappeared from radar about an hour after it departed from Miyako island and about half an hour earlier than its scheduled return.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mentioned the Defense Ministry is investigating.