US Osprey military aircraft are "still operating" in Japan, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday, after Tokyo asked the US to ground all Ospreys following a crash.
"Right now, the Ospreys are still operating in Japan," said Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh at a news briefing.
Her remarks came after Japan asked the US military to suspend all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after an Osprey with eight personnel on board crashed Wednesday off the coast of Japan's Yakushima Island.
Singh said the cause of the crash is currently under investigation and search and rescue efforts are underway, without confirming reports that one person was killed in the incident.
"Our focus is on search and rescue efforts for our eight missing airmen," she said.
She also thanked the Japan Coast Guard for their assistance in the search and recovery efforts.
- Shooting down drone over Red Sea
Turning to the shooting down of a drone by a US navy warship over the Red Sea, Singh confirmed the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was manufactured by Iran.
Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the USS Carney shot down an Iranian-produced KAS-04 UAV launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
It added that at the time, the USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another US flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries or damage to any of the vessels during the incident.
"I don't have the exact measurements of how far it was from the Carney but, of course, a commander of a ship if he or she assesses that the drone or missile is a threat to that ship and the personnel on that ship, they have the authority to shoot it down," she said.
The initial assessment is that the ships were not the intended target, she said, adding: "But again, it is up to the commanders of the ships, if they feel that they are under attack or they feel like their personnel are threatened to be able to respond and take action."
