Two Marine Corps aircraft collide in mid-air

[Eldorado]

Five US Marines were missing after two Marine Corps aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed into the sea off the coast of Japan during an air-to-air refuelling exercise on Thursday, Japanese and American officials said.

Japan’s defence ministry said its maritime forces had so far found two of the seven Marines who were aboard the aircraft – an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules – at the time of the incident.

One was in a stable condition at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, while the second had been found about 10 hours after the collision and brought aboard a Japanese military vessel, the ministry said. No other details about the second Marine were known, a ministry spokesman said.

Search-and-rescue efforts for the remaining five continue near the crash site, about 100 kilometres off the cape of Muroto in southwestern Japan.

Full report: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2176611/seven-missing-after-us-fighter-jet-and-tanker-plane-crash-japan

[Robotic Jew]

This is terrible. Hopefully, they're found.

[Eldorado]

Five missing Marines have been declared dead by the US military, nearly a week after two aircraft collided and crashed into the sea off Japan.

A massive search and rescue operation was mounted after the 6 December incident, involving a F/A-18 fighter and a KC-130 refuelling tanker carrying seven crew in total.

One crew member survived, and Tuesday's announcement brings the final death toll to six

The exact cause remains unclear.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-46522398