U.S. to Resume F-15 Flight Training after Halt for Only One Day

June 13, 2018

Naha, Okinawa Pref.- The U.S. military said Tuesday it will resume flight training with F-15 fighters from Wednesday, after only one day of suspension in the wake of the crash of the same type of aircraft off the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa.

The U.S. Air Force's Kadena base in Okinawa said the latest accident did not indicate all F-15 fighters belonging to the base have safety problems.

Col. Richard Tanner, vice commander of the 18th Wing of the base, stressed in a statement that inspections of all F-15s in the past 24 hours have made him believe that they can resume flying safely.

Meanwhile, Okinawa Vice Governor Kiichiro Jahana called Koichiro Nakajima, head of the Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau, and other officials in the prefectural government office in Naha to lodge a protest.

"I can't help but have a big doubt and a sense of distrust over the U.S. military's aircraft maintenance and safety measures," Jahana said. Jiji Press