Japan’s military said Monday it was searching for a fighter jet that disappeared from radar shortly after taking off, with media reporting a “red glow” was seen and debris had been found.
“The track of an F15 jet disappeared from the data of the Komatsu control tower after take-off,” a spokesman for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) told AFP.
The plane disappeared about five kilometres (three miles) from the Komatsu airbase in central Ishikawa region, off the Sea of Japan, he added.
Kyodo news agency reported the fighter was conducting training with a crew of two on board when radar contact was lost at about 5:30 pm.
The ASDF said it found some floating objects in the area where the plane went off radar during its search and rescue operation, according to Kyodo.
A local coast guard told Kyodo it had received a call reporting a “red glow” near the base at about the same time.
Japan has occasionally seen accidents involving its airforce, including in 2019 when an F-35A stealth jet crashed into the sea after the pilot suffered spatial disorientation.
The crash sparked a scramble to recover the pilot and secrets onboard the plane.
