An F-15 fighter jet belonging to Japan's Air Self-Defence Force disappeared from radars soon after takeoff, the country's Defence Ministry has reported. The aircraft with two crew members on board flew 5 kilometres out into the Sea of Japan before all communications with it were lost.
The jet reportedly took off from the Komatsu Air Base in the Ishikawa Prefecture flying west-north-west. The Japanese Defence Ministry is investigating the incident and its cause, but suspects that the aircraft crashed into the sea.
The broadcaster NHK, in turn, reported that the Coast Guard had dispatched several boats to the area where the jet might have crashed.
Japan's Air Self-Defence Force operates a fleet of around 200 Mitsubishi F-15J and F-15DJ fighter jets produced domestically under the license of the original creator – US aerospace company McDonnell Douglas (who merged with Boeing in 1997). They are mainly used to guard the country's airspace from intruders as well as in various military exercises and joint drills with allies.