Japanese Defense Minister Confirms Crash of F-35A Stealth Fighter in Pacific Ocean

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2019) Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya confirmed on Wednesday that the country's F-35A stealth fighter, which went missing on Tuesday, had crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

On Tuesday, the F-35A fighter disappeared from radars 135 kilometers (84 miles) east of the Misawa Air Base, located in the country's northern Aomori prefecture. The incident took place during a training flight involving four F-35A fighters. One person was on board of the missing aircraft.

"It [the fighter] has crashed," the minister told reporters, adding that the debris had been found in the Pacific Ocean, near the Aomori prefecture.

Iwaya also vowed to do everything possible to rescue the missing pilot.

The minister apologized to residents of the Aomori prefecture for inconveniences caused by the search and rescue operation as well as pointed out that the investigation into the incident had already been launched.

Following the Tuesday incident, Japan halted flights of F-35A stealth fighters of the country's Air Self-Defense Force's.