This file photo taken on Oct. 14, 2018 shows an F-35A fighter aircraft from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force taking part in a military review at the Ground Self-Defence Force's Asaka training ground in Asaka, Saitama prefecture. (Xinhua/AFP)
WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Navy on Wednesday ended searching for a downed F-35A near Japan, saying a salvage team managed to locate debris from the wreckage.
"A U.S. Navy salvage team aboard a contracted vessel completed its mission supporting search and recovery operations with the Japan Self Defense Forces after locating debris from the downed JASDF F-35A off the coast of Japan, May 8," USNI news quoted the U.S. 7th Fleet as saying, using the acronym for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
The 7th Fleet noted that U.S. warships and multiple aircraft took part in the search and rescue mission for the crashed F-35A jet, which went missing on April 9 about 137 km off the coast of Japan.
Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed that the crash in waters off Japan's northeast coast was the first of an F-35A anywhere in the world.
The crash not only raised questions about the reliability of the U.S.-designed advanced fighter but also sparked concerns over the Japanese government's plans to buy 105 more of the 100-million-dollar fighters as it seeks to overhaul its aged fleet of mainstay jets under its controversial national defense guidelines.