The helicopter disappeared from radar tracking after leaving a Ground Self Defence Force base on Miyakojima, according to a GSDF official.

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter disappeared from radar on Thursday afternoon while on a reconnaissance mission north of Miyako island, the head of the Ground Self Defense Force, Yasunori Morishita, said at a news conference.

Debris believed to be aircraft parts was spotted in the area, about 1,800km (1,120 miles) southwest of Tokyo, he said.

The government is aggressively building up its defence capability in southwestern Japan in response to China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, including Taiwan.

Kyodo News said Japanese coast guard ships also found traces of oil that may be related to the missing helicopter, but officials declined to confirm the report.

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

“To rescue everyone who was on board as soon as possible, we will continue to do our utmost … using the vessels and aircraft of the maritime and air self-defence forces, as well as coastguard patrol ships,” he said.

Warships in the area

Chinese navy vessels travelling to the Pacific Ocean from the East China Sea often pass close to Miyakojima, which has hosted GSDF mobile anti-ship missile launchers since 2019.

In the past four days, amid growing tension about a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, at least three Chinese warships have sailed past the island.

The government is aggressively building up its defence capability in southwestern Japan in response to China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, including Taiwan.

Morishita did not say whether the helicopter was involved in tracking any Chinese military activity.

Kyodo News said Japanese coast guard ships also found traces of oil that may be related to the missing helicopter, but officials declined to confirm the report.

The government’s priority now is to rescue those on board, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in comments aired by public broadcaster NHK.

“Saving lives is our utmost priority,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said while briefly addressing reporters.