Japan Press Weekly

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2015 January 14 - 20 [US FORCES]

US military helicopter drops items in sea near Okinawa

A U.S. military helicopter on January 15 during its flight training exercises over the sea near Okinawa dropped items totaling more than 200 kilograms in weight, the Okinawa Defense Bureau on the same day reported to local municipalities and the prefecture.

The helicopter in question is an AH1W Super Cobra stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma base in Ginowan City. It caused an accident in the sea area off the coast of Tonaki Village, dropping a missile launcher which weighs 208 kilograms. No damage or injury was reported.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Ginowan City Assembly Chinen Yoshio said that the U.S. military has carried out flight drills above residential areas even during the New Year holidays, and that local residents are complaining about that. The latest accidental drop incident was due to the frequency of flight exercises, he stressed.

Uehara Tetsuaki, JCP member of the Tonaki Village Assembly, pointed out that as now is the height of the bonito fishing season, many dozens of fishing boats can be found in the sea area near the accident site, but that no fisherman was there that day due to strong winds. Saying that a military-related disaster may occur at any time, he argued that U.S. bases in Okinawa should be removed without delay.