Debris found in search for Japanse army copter with 10 crew

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — An unused lifeboat, a door and other fragments believed to be from a Japanese army helicopter have been found after the Black Hawk carrying 10 crew members was presumed to have crashed at sea. Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters none of the missing crew members has been found as the search continued Friday. The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared Thursday afternoon while on a reconnaissance mission in Japan’s southern islands. Japan is aggressively building up its defense capability in response to China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, including near Taiwan. The helicopter was stationed in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. One of its 10 crew members is the division commander.