Japanese Defense¹ Minister Takeshi Iwaya confirmed Wednesday that the F-35A fighter jet that went missing during a training exercise a day earlier over the Pacific has crashed.

 

日本防卫大臣岩屋毅周三证实，一天前在太平洋上的一次飞行训练中失踪的F-35A战机已经坠毁。

 

At a press briefing, Iwaya also said that wreckage² believed to be that of the stealth fighter jet has been found floating in the Pacific.

 

The Defense Ministry³ said a major in his 40s who was flying the single-seat jet when it went missing is still unaccounted for.

 

"We'll do our best to rescue the missing pilot," said Iwaya.

 

Search and rescue operations carried out by the Self-Defense Force (SDF) and the Japan Coast Guard have been continuing with patrol aircraft and ships following the F-35A fighter jet going missing from radar⁴ the previous day.

 

The plane had been flying with three other F-35As on a training mission and according to SDF officials, there were no reports of problems from the plane before it went missing.

 

The missing plane took off from Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan at around 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the SDF said.

 

It was flying off the coast of Aomori Prefecture about 135 km east of the base when radar contact was lost less than 30 minutes after takeoff, the SDF said.

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