U.S. soldiers land CH-47 Chinooks during the Orient Shield exercise at Aibano Training Area, Japan, July 22, 2024. (Arianna Zavala/U.S. Army)

At least two U.S. Army helicopters made a precautionary landing on a riverbank southeast of Osaka over the weekend, according to a spokesman for Japan’s Kinkichuo Defense Bureau.

The CH-47 Chinooks, along with another unconfirmed type of helicopter, left the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Akeno and landed along the Kino River in Hashimoto city around 8:40 a.m. Sunday, the spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. A warning light came on in one of the helicopters, he said.

Japanese media reported three helicopters had landed on the riverbank; however, the spokesman said the ministry has confirmation that two touched down there and is seeking details about the third. No other information was immediately available, he said.

The Kinkichuo Defense Bureau is the local arm of the Japanese Defense Ministry.

The helicopters departed the riverbank around 10:50 a.m., after determining they were safe to fly, the spokesman said. No injuries or damage were reported.

Some government officials in Japan may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The helicopters are assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, and were participating in exercise Orient Shield, the spokesman said.

“The unit was able to fix the maintenance issue,” U.S. Army Japan spokesman Manuel Torres-Cortes told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

Orient Shield, which kicked off July 18, is the largest annual, bilateral field exercise between the U.S. Army and Ground Self-Defense Force, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command website.