US Navy abandons salvage mission for Japanese F-35A fighter jet with pilot still missing and presumed dead

The US Navy has withdrawn its salvage team assisting in the search for the wreckage of a Japanese Air Self-Defence Force F-35A fighter that was lost off northern Japan last month, although the Defence Ministry in Tokyo said the search will continue.

The state-of-the-art fighter disappeared from radar screens 137km east of Misawa Air Base, in Aomori Prefecture, during a routine training mission on April 9. The pilot remains missing and is presumed dead.

Japan’s Defence Ministry said some components of the aircraft have been located on the seabed and subsequently recovered, including the cockpit canopy and part of the jet’s “black box”, although the unit that investigators hoped would help them identify what caused the crash has been damaged.

In a statement released on Thursday, the US Seventh Fleet said: “A US Navy salvage team aboard a contracted vessel completed its mission supporting search and recovery operations with the Japan Self-Defence Forces after locating debris from the downed JASDF F-35A off the coast of Japan, May 8.”

The navy had deployed the CURV21 remotely operated vehicle to survey the area surrounding the debris field, it said, adding, “The US Navy’s thoughts continue to be with the pilot’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Japan is hoping to recover the black box or any other components that will shed light on the first crash during an operational flight of an F-35 jet.

Tokyo has committed to purchasing 147 of the jets, which will be assembled in Japan under the deal signed with Washington. There is concern the aircraft has a previously unknown fault or there is a problem with the assembly in Japan.