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
-
![New opportunities for defence firms as EU steps up support for Ukraine]()
New opportunities for defence firms as EU steps up support for Ukraine
The European Commission is looking for startups and other innovators to address challenges across the land, air and sea domains.
-
![Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures]()
Why small guns have been critical to layered CUAS architectures
Multiple countries have been deploying small arms as the last line of drone defence due to their multiple operational and tactical advantages.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: ST Engineering hints at export success for AME assault rifle family
The Singapore-based technology company unveiled its new rifle family at this week’s airshow. Chen Chuanren spoke with the ST Engineering’s head of small arms to find out more about how the weapons have been refined.
-
![High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?]()
High tension in the High North – a wake-up call for NATO’s future Arctic defence efforts?
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
-
![Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack]()
Venezuela prepares personnel and equipment for a potential second US attack
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
-
![As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues]()
As the new year starts, the UK defence spending delay continues
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
