US Air Force Says 8 Soldiers Aboard US Osprey that Crashed Off Japan Assumed Dead

Japanese coast guard helicopter and patrol vessel conduct search and rescue operation in the waters where a US military Osprey aircraft crashed into off the coast of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP)
Japanese coast guard helicopter and patrol vessel conduct search and rescue operation in the waters where a US military Osprey aircraft crashed into off the coast of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP)
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US Air Force Says 8 Soldiers Aboard US Osprey that Crashed Off Japan Assumed Dead

Japanese coast guard helicopter and patrol vessel conduct search and rescue operation in the waters where a US military Osprey aircraft crashed into off the coast of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP)
Japanese coast guard helicopter and patrol vessel conduct search and rescue operation in the waters where a US military Osprey aircraft crashed into off the coast of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP)

All eight airmen who were aboard an Osprey military aircraft that crashed off Japan on November 29, are considered deceased, the US Air Force said Tuesday.

A statement by Air Force Special Operations Command said six of the eight crew members’ remains had been located.

It added, “the US military transitioned search and rescue operations to search and recovery operations,” meaning “survivors are unlikely."

Of the eight airmen, the remains of three airmen have been recovered, the remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered, and the remains of two airmen are still being located, according to AFP.

Offering his condolences, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the military would “continue to gather information” on the incident and conduct “a rigorous and thorough investigation.”

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that “our entire nation mourns this tragic loss.

On Nov. 29, the US Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed into the ocean near the Japanese island of Yakushima with eight people on board during a training mission. The US military has around 54,000 personnel in Japan.

The Osprey, which can operate like a helicopter or a fixed-wing plane, has suffered a string of fatal crashes over the years, and therefore, rekindled safety concerns.

The accidents include a crash in northern Australia that killed three US Marines in August, and another in Norway during NATO training exercises last year that left four dead.

In the wake of the deadly crash, Japan had halted using its own Ospreys pending safety checks and has asked the US to suspend its Osprey flights.



Hegseth Says China’s Military Presence in Western Hemisphere Is ‘Too Large’

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC25), organized by Panama and the US Southern Command, in Panama City on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC25), organized by Panama and the US Southern Command, in Panama City on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
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Hegseth Says China’s Military Presence in Western Hemisphere Is ‘Too Large’

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC25), organized by Panama and the US Southern Command, in Panama City on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC25), organized by Panama and the US Southern Command, in Panama City on April 9, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday focused again on China's presence in the Western Hemisphere, one day after calling the world power a threat to the Panama Canal.

Speaking at a regional security conference, Hegseth said that China-based companies were controlling land and critical infrastructure in strategic sectors.

“China’s military has too large of a presence in the Western Hemisphere,” Hegseth said. “Make no mistake, Beijing is investing and operating in this region for military advantage and unfair economic gain.”

He called on the region’s governments to work together to deter China and address threats posed by transnational drug cartels and mass immigration.

Hegseth was speaking a day after meeting Panama's President José Raúl Mulino and touring the Panama Canal. The two countries agreed to step up security coordination and appeared to say they would work toward a way to pay back fees that US warships pay to pass through the Panama Canal.

The visit comes amid tensions over US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the US is being overcharged to use the Panama Canal and that China has influence over its operations — allegations that Panama has denied.

Shortly after Hegseth and Mulino met, the Chinese Embassy in Panama criticized the US government in a statement on X, saying Washington had used “blackmail” to further its own interests and that who Panama carries out business with is a “sovereign decision of Panama ... and something the US doesn’t have the right to interfere in.”

The concern about China's influence over the waterway was provoked by Hong Kong-based consortium CK Hutchison holding a 25-year lease on ports at either end of the canal. The Panamanian government announced that lease was being audited and late Monday concluded that there were irregularities, which CK Hutchison denied in a statement Wednesday.

CK Hutchison has already announced that it would be selling its controlling stake in the ports to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control once the sale is complete.