US fighter jet missing after ‘plunging into the sea off Japanese coast’
The military aircraft, believed to be an AV8B Harrier II jet, is thought to have crashed after taking off from the southern island of Okinawa
A US fighter jet is missing after reportedly plunging into the sea off Japan's coast.
The military aircraft, believed to be an AV8B Harrier II jet, is thought to have crashed shortly after taking off from the southern island of Okinawa.
Japanese authorities dispatched the coastguard, with a helicopter and patrol boat hunting the downed jet.
The US Air Force is stationed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island.
It is thought the crash site is 150 kilometres east of the Cape Hedo village Kunimagi.
Although the vertical take-off and landing aircraft is a single-pilot plane, the training version has two seats.
Tha air base hosts nearly 18,000 Americans and more than 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors.
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