F-35A, one of the cheapest jet with the best stealth and aviation system. (Image via The Diplomat)

Japan Finds Missing Link to F-35 Disappearance

TOKYO - Japan found debris of its F-35A Fighter Jet, missing since April. When the jet crashed on 9 April 2019 in the Pacific Ocean, only the debris remains; while the pilot’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The jet, together with three other jets, took off from Misawa Air Base, Aomori, Japan for a training mission. After 30 minutes of flight, the pilot signaled to abort the mission. Not soon after, the transmission was severed as the jet went off the radar. 

Japanese Minister of Defense, Takeshi Iwaya, did not reveal any information about the airman, except that he was 40 years old with 3200 hours of flight experience. Japan and USA collaborate for the search by deploying jets, ships and missile destroyers to find the jet.

On Tuesday (7/5), Iwaya stated that the search bore its fruit, after finding the debris, in form of 2 tail fins, allegedly connected to the missing F-35A, even though the pilot and the fuselage were not found still.

This is not the first case for F-35. In September 2018, the same model crashed in Carolina, USA. While F-35 is an American product, the missing F-35A, jet specialized for the airforce, was a result of Nagoya. 

For the PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, the replacement from F-4 to F-35 is vital to revolutionize Japan’s military power to meet the present military challenge. While each of the jets costs more than ¥10 billion, Iwaya decided to withhold the usage of the rest F-35 until the cause of the matter was found.

The search proceeds as Japan needs more clues to investigate the cause of the crash.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-finds-parts-of-crashed-f35-fighter-jet-11510820