A U.S. Marine Corps fighter jet has crashed into the ocean off the coast of southwestern Okinawa in Japan.

The pilot was able to eject safely however and was rescued.

The U.S. military in Camp Butler in Okinawa said the cause of Thursday's crash is still under investigation.

The AV8B Harrier II jet aircraft that crashed had been assigned to Okinawa, which hosts more than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan under a bilateral security agreement.

Crash: The military aircraft is believed to be a a AV8B Harrier II jet (file photo)

Other details were not immediately available. The Japanese Coast Guard also confirmed the crash, which was about 95 miles east of the main Okinawan island.

The 11th Regional Coast Guard are searching for the plane, with a helicopter and patrol boat at the crash site.

The US Marine who survived the crash was stationed at Camp Butler.

The US Air Force, meanwhile, are stationed at Kadena Air Base on the island. Nearly 18,000 Americans and more than 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors are based at Kadena.

People in Okinawa have complained about crashes, noise from aircraft and crime by service members for years, and some say they are unfairly burdened with housing U.S. troops.