21 January 2017

News Report: US Military Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Japanese Okinawa

A US military helicopter had to make an emergency landing on an island in the western Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, Japanese media reported Friday, citing the country's Defense Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) –The malfunctions made the helicopter to land on a road on Ikei-jima Island, the NHK broadcaster reported.

The media outlet added that the ministry had not reported about any injuries caused by the accident.

The island of Okinawa is the place of significant US military presence in Japan, within the framework of the US-Japan security treaty signed in 1951.

The presence of US troops has been repeatedly criticized by Okinawa's residents, due to a number of US military personnel crimes, as well as because of US aircraft crashes in the vicinity of their airbases located on the island.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.