Japan: Pilot's body found two weeks after F-15 fighter jet went missing

body of one of pilots of Japanese F-15 fighter jet that went missing in January has been discovered in Sea of Japan, according to local media reports.  pilot's body was discovered near crash scene in Ishikawa Prefecture, according to NHK brocaster. A portion of fighter jet's keel was discovered in same vicinity of Sea of Japan.

search for a second pilot is still ongoing. On January 31, Japan Air Self-Defense Force plane vanished from air traffic control rars immediately after takeoff, roughly 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Komatsu Airbase, which has two tactical fighter squrons on Sea of Japan coast, ministry said on Tuesday. According to Japanese officials, F-15 fighter plane h not sent an emergency signal before it went missing, and y h received no calls indicating irregularities or rescue signals before it went missing.

Jet's conditions "deteriorated fast," leaving two-person crew no time to react

Officials believe flight conditions "deteriorated fast," leaving two-person crew no time to react, according to report. Nobuo Kishi, Japanese defence minister, told reporters on Tuesday that an early media report that one of pilots h been located was false.  Japan Coast Guard said in a press release that search and rescue helicopters and three coastguard ships were continuing ir search after previously discovering aeroplane debris in sea.

"As part of fuselage of fighter jet was discovered in area, fighter jet is believed to have crashed," Hirokazu Matsuno, a top government spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday.

"All attempts" are being undertaken to locate missing crew members, he furr ded. majority of Japan's F-15 fighter jets were constructed under licence by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and have served as country's principal front-line fighter for four deces, scurrying to respond to Chinese and Russian aircraft probing country's airspace.

Japan has 200 F-15s, half of which will be refurbished by Boeing to increase ir operational life and capabilities. two-seater variant is utilised for training. majority of Japan's F-15s are single-seaters. In 2019, a Japanese Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth aircraft on a training mission fell into Pacific Ocean after pilot suffered from spatial disorientation, according to reports.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: ANI