Japanese fighter jet disappears over Sea of Japan

Tokyo, Feb 1 (IANS) A Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F15 fighter jet disappeared during training over the Sea of Japan on Monday, the JASDF has said.The jet lost radar contact after taking off from the Komatsu Air Base in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the JASDF.The fighter disappeared at on Monday evening when it was conducting training with a crew of two aboard over the Sea of Japan about 5 km west-northwest of the base, according to a Ministry of Defense source.The Kanazawa Coast Guard Office in Ishikawa Prefecture said it received a call about the same time that a red glow off the coast of Kaga near the air base was reported.The JASDF said it found some floating objects in the area where the plane went off radar during its search and rescue operation.The rescue team has found what appears to be missing people aboard the fighter on the Sea of Japan but the number of people found and their conditions cannot be confirmed at this point, according to the defense ministry.The missing fighter belonged to a squadron that functions as enemy aircraft in tactical flight training, according to the JASDF.
--IANS int/shs

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