US Marine planes crash: Search and rescue off the coast of Japan

An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet lands on the deck of the U.S. Navy USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea. Photo / AP file

UPDATE: Marine aircraft involved in this incident are a KC-130 mid-air refueling a tanker and a F/A-18 fighter aircraft. Total of 7 personnel believed to be on board the two aircraft, Marine official tells @ABC. Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces leading search/rescue efforts. https://t.co/RyNDnIHKT1

— Elizabeth McLaughlin (@Elizabeth_McLau) December 5, 2018

Two United States Marine aircraft are reported to have crashed off the coast of Japan today.

Search and rescue operations are underway.

The aircraft are a KC-130 refuelling plane and an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.

US Marines tweeted: "Search and rescue operations continue for a KC-130 and an F/A-18 that were involved in a mishap off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 a.m. Dec. 6."

ABC News reported that a total of seven people were thought to be on the two aircraft.

The Marine Corps said in a statement, according to Task and Purpose: "The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred. Japanese search and rescue aircraft immediately responded to aid in recovery."

Further details about the incident were not immediately released.