Japan's Air Self-Defence Force says it has found what could be debris from the F-35 fighter jet that disappeared during a flight exercise in the country's north.
Key points:
- Japan has grounded other F-35s at its Misawa base
- The cause of the disappearance is not yet known
- Japan announced last year it would increase its F-35 fleet from 42 to 147
The F-35A stealth jet went missing on Tuesday (local time) while flying off the eastern coast of Aomori.
The debris was found in the sea near where the aircraft disappeared from radar about 30 minutes after taking off from the Misawa air base with three other F-35As for anti-fighter battle training.
Authorities are continuing the search for the pilot, a man in his 40s, and are working to confirm whether the debris is from plane.
Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the cause of the plane's disappearance was not immediately known and that 12 other F-35s at the Misawa base would be grounded.