Officials reported the discovery of fragments believed to come from a Japanese army helicopter after the UH-60JA Black Hawk, carrying 10 crew members, was assumed to have crashed at sea. Despite continuing searches, no missing crew members have been found. The missing helicopter disappeared from radar only 10 minutes after leaving Miyako Island and was supposedly flying over the water between Miyako and Irabu Island to the northwest. Japan is actively enhancing its defense capability in its southwest islands due to China’s military activity in the area. The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft and produced by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, was deployed in 1999 for quick response, surveillance, and disaster relief missions. The helicopter was stationed at an army base in Kumamoto prefecture, where the division commander, Yuichi Sakamoto, who was recently promoted, was one of the 10 crew members. The army reported that the helicopter had a routine safety inspection and no issues were found during the test flight or on its trip from Kumamoto to Miyako Island.