F-35 Fighter Jet Missing Near Japan

F-35 Fighter Jet Goes Missing Over Japan After Emergency Alert

Tokyo: A fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jet that took off over northern Japan 🇯🇵 has gone missing after transmitting an emergency signal and disappearing from radar over the Pacific Ocean, according to international media reports citing flight-tracking data.

Data from FlightRadar24 indicates that the aircraft broadcast the emergency squawk code 7700, an internationally recognized signal used to alert air traffic control to a serious onboard emergency. The jet was flying over Aomori Prefecture and later turned northeast toward the Pacific Ocean, where radar and communication signals abruptly ceased.

The aircraft reportedly vanished from radar at around 12:09 p.m. local time. Preliminary reports suggest the jet belongs to the United States military, though officials have not yet confirmed the specific unit or the pilot’s condition.

Neither the U.S. military nor the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has issued an official statement so far. Northern Japan, particularly the Misawa Air Base, regularly hosts joint operations involving F-35 aircraft from both countries.

In previous years, F-35 jets have made emergency landings in the Aomori region due to technical issues. Given the complete loss of signal in this incident, authorities are not ruling out the possibility of a crash. Search and rescue operations are reportedly underway, but no confirmed details have been released yet.

F-35 Fighter Jet Missing Near Japan