Japanese military helicopter loses contact off central Japan

A Japanese defence helicopter carrying four crew members has lost contact during flight training in central Japan.
Defence officials say the UH-60J lost contact today evening while flying over the Pacific Ocean about 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of Hamamatsu, a coastal city in central Japan.
Officials say a search and rescue effort is underway. So far, there has been no sign of the helicopter or its crew members.
No further details were available.
In August, another defence helicopter, a SH-60J, crashed off the northern Japanese coast, leaving three of its four crew members missing.