by VOA News
Search-and-rescue efforts are under way after two U.S. military aircraft collided in midair, crashing into the Pacific Ocean about 200 miles off the coast of Japan early Thursday, the U.S. Marine Corps said.
At least one Marine has been rescued by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. There were five crew members on the KC-130 tanker aircraft and two on the F/A-18 fighter jet.
The planes “had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred,” a statement issued by the Marines said. “The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation.”
The U.S. military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan.
VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report.
