US fighter jet crashes off Japan's Okinawa, crew rescued
A US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan's southern island of Okinawa on 12 November and its two crew members were rescued alive, Japan's defence ministry said.
The F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed some 250km east-southeast of Okinawa's capital city Naha at around 11:45 am local time, said Osamu Kosakai, spokesman for the ministry's Okinawa defence bureau.
Its two crew members ejected and were rescued by a US military helicopter, he told AFP, adding the accident was ‘not life-threatening’.
The fighter jet crashed ‘due to engine trouble,’ he said.
Japan's coastguard ‘dispatched an aircraft to the waters to see if there is any debris or floating oil’, a coastguard spokesman told AFP.
Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan.
For decades, Okinawa residents have asked for some of the bases to be moved, with resentment growing after a string of accidents and crimes committed by US military personnel and base workers.
More from Defence Notes
-
![White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production]()
White House calls on Pentagon contractors to “rapidly and aggressively” boost weapon production
Intended to sustain Operation Epic Fury against Iran, efforts to increase the production of weapons and ammunition could expose long-standing weaknesses in the US defence industrial base.
-
![India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict]()
India’s strategic defence footprint expansion could be accelerated by Iran-Israel conflict
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel could shape New Delhi’s next-generation shield as India deepens cooperation with Israel on missile defence and drone production.
-
![Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?]()
Is the US magazine of air defence interceptors deep enough to sustain a long campaign against Iran?
The Pentagon spent a considerable number of THAAD and SM-3 rounds to defend against Iranian missiles in 2025 and has not fully replenished its reserves.
-
![New Zealand buys tri-service uncrewed kit from Syos Aerospace]()
New Zealand buys tri-service uncrewed kit from Syos Aerospace
As uncrewed technology continues to play an increasingly central role in modern military activities, New Zealand’s recent acquisitions point towards its the force’s focus on cost-effective capability.
