A US military aircraft has crashed off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, according to a Japanese coast guard official.
The fighter jet, a AV-8B Harrier Jump Jet, departed the Kadena US airbase and crashed off the east coast of Okinawa, according to the official.
The Japanese coast guard deployed rescue teams at 2 p.m. local time (1 a.m ET) and received a report two hours later that at least one person has been rescued from the crash site.
Although the aircraft is a single-pilot plane, the training version has two seats. It’s unclear how many people were on board.
Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture, is home to a large US military presence.
Developing story – more to come