Amid efforts to drastically boost defense capabilities in the Nansei island chain, the disappearance Thursday of a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter has rattled officials of the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces.
The aircraft, which was carrying the commander of the 8th Division, disappeared from radar during a scheduled flight around the Okinawa Prefecture island of Miyako, which would be on the front line in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
"We have yet to find Lt. Gen. [Yuichi] Sakamoto and others who were aboard [the helicopter]. We will do our utmost to find the 10 personnel," Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said at a press conference held after a Cabinet meeting on Friday. Hamada's voice was trembling as he spoke and he appeared to have tears in his eyes.
