Japan ends search for crashed F35 fighter jet
Japan called off its search for an F-35A on 4 June, almost two months after the stealth jet crashed into the sea sparking a scramble to recover the pilot and secrets onboard.
Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters the search had been halted but that his teams were still investigating the cause of the crash, adding that F-35A operations in northern Japan had not yet resumed.
The ministry would also keep monitoring a wider area with underwater cameras ‘for the purpose of protecting classified military information,’ Iwaya said.
Experts say Japan and the US are keen to prevent sensitive debris from the plane being recovered by Russia or China, and Iwaya himself has admitted there were ‘a significant amount of secrets that need to be protected’ on the jet.
Some debris have been recovered, including the jet's tail, but neither the pilot's body nor the flight data recorder have been found.
The state-of-the-art fighter jet went missing on 9 April while flying 135km (85 miles) east of Misawa, northeastern Japan, on a training mission. The plane lost contact about 30 minutes after taking off from Misawa Air Base with three other aircraft.
It was the first reported crash by an F35-A, according to Japan's Air Self-Defence Force.
Japan is deploying F35-As, each of which costs more than ¥10 billion ($90 million), to replace its ageing F-4 fighters. They are a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to upgrade the nation's military capacity to meet changing power dynamics in East Asia, with China rapidly modernising its military.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Trump enters the White House promising into bring the US military to a “golden age”]()
Trump enters the White House promising into bring the US military to a “golden age”
The returning US president also reiterated a commitment to supply the services with “made-in-America” capabilities and to end conflicts worldwide.
-
![Incoming Irish government backs plans for larger defence force]()
Incoming Irish government backs plans for larger defence force
It has been more than six weeks since the Irish general election. After long negotiations, a coalition of two of the three largest parties and independents has resulted in a Programme for Government (PfG) which will form the basis of a government almost guaranteed to be formed on 22 January.
-
![Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent]()
Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent
The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
-
![UK begins process on new industrial strategy]()
UK begins process on new industrial strategy
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
-
![Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west]()
Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
-
![What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration]()
What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
