United state's Military Helicopter Crashes off Japan's Southern Island

The Japanese Coast Guard says a U.S. military helicopter has crashed into sea off the southern island of Okinawa.

The coast guard said Wednesday that it has dispatched patrol boats and aircraft to search for the helicopter and its crewmembers following information from the U.S. military.

Japanese officials said the crash site is believed to be off the eastern coast near Nago on Okinawa, but further details, including the location and the number of crewmembers, were not immediately known.

The site is possibly near the site of a proposed relocation of the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa, where more than half of about 50,000 American troops in Japan are concentrated. Many Okinawans are opposed to the plan because they want the base completely off the island.