A MC-130J Commando II with the 353rd Special Operations Group flies over the East China Sea from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Jan. 6, 2021. (Stephen Pulter/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force training exercise off Okinawa took an unexpected turn this week when a supply bundle carrying a rescue boat detached from its parachute and fell into the sea, according to the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base.
The incident occurred Wednesday near Tsuken Island — approximately two miles southeast of White Beach Naval Facility — during a personnel recovery drill involving an MC-130J Commando II aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Wing, the 18th Wing said in a statement emailed Thursday.
The rescue equipment was recovered, and no injuries were reported, according to the statement, which was not attributed to a named spokesperson.
The drop occurred at 5:24 p.m., according to the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper, which cited unnamed sources Thursday. Twelve pararescue specialists also jumped from the aircraft as part of the training, which included two supply drops, the report added.
“The incident is under investigation to determine the cause and contributing factors,” said the wing’s statement.
The Tsuken Water Drop Zone is the primary cargo drop zone for Air Force operations in the region. Prior to the exercise, the service coordinated with the Okinawa Defense Bureau to issue notices restricting air and sea traffic in the area and deployed safety boats to prevent civilian access, according to the wing.
“All jump and drop operations are coordinated in advance to ensure the safety of participating personnel and the local community,” its statement said.
The Okinawa prefectural government had asked that the training not take place. A spokeswoman for the prefecture’s Military Base Affairs Division said by phone Thursday that the request was submitted through the defense bureau Wednesday morning. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with Japanese government protocol for some officials.
Such requests are routine whenever the U.S. military schedules paradrop training in the area, the spokeswoman added.
The incident comes weeks after a similar accident involving U.S. military equipment on Okinawa.
On May 13, a UH-1Y Venom with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 dropped a 40-pound bag of signal flares over the Motobu Peninsula during a routine training flight. The equipment has not been recovered.
“While the flares do contain combustible materials, they require manual activation, and the risk of self-ignition is minimal,” Maj. Joseph Butterfield, spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, wrote in a June 9 email. “We ask that if anyone finds the equipment, they report it to the Okinawa Defense Bureau or the nearest law enforcement agency.”
