The aircraft disappeared from radar at around 5.30 pm local time over the Sea of Japan, five kilometres west-northwest from the airbase. The twin-engine combat jet was conducting training at the time and reportedly had two people on board, the Independent newspaper cited Kyodo News as reporting.
According to Kyodo News, the Kanazawa Coast Guard Office said it received a call reporting a red glow off the coast of Kaga city in southwestern Ishikawa province around the same time.
The defense ministry suspects the jet may have crashed, but an official said they were still in the process of investigating the disappearance.
The F-15 is described as an all-weather air superiority fighter and represents one of the key aircraft in the country’s air force, the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF).
KI/PR