Defense Ministry: Japan, Us Fighter Jets Made Joint Flight
Japan's Defense Ministry says Japanese and US fighter jets have made a joint flight over the Sea of Japan.
The ministry announced on Thursday that four F-15 fighter jets from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chitose Air Base and four F-16s from US Misawa Air Base, both in northern Japan, flew together on Wednesday afternoon for training.
A photo released by the ministry shows Japanese F-15s and US F-16s flying in formation.
The mission is seen as a show of Japan-US partnership in response to North Korea's launches of at least two ballistic missiles earlier on Wednesday. It is also seen as a countermeasure on the joint flight by Chinese and Russian bombers around Japan on Tuesday.
The ministry took note of the harsh security environment in the region and vowed to maintain and strengthen the readiness and capability to contribute to regional peace and stability.