 Two U.S. F15 fighters make emergency landing at Kadena Base after clipping each other in midair Two F15 fighters of the U.S. Air Force training off the coast of Okinawa on October 4, clipped each other in midair and made emergency landings at Kadena Base in Okinawa Prefecture. The two fighter aircraft deployed in Alaska sustained damage in the tail sections and parts of the main wings. The U.S. Kadena Air Base public affairs office, however, refused to give details of the accident or the training exercises. Even Prefectural Governor Inamine Keiichi, who accepts the plan for a new U.S. base to be constructed on the sea off Nago City, on the day expressed "strong resentment". The governor said, "Another accident has taken place even before the cause of the recent helicopter crash has been established and preventive measures confirmed." He demanded a review of the operations of U.S. military aircraft, including a halt to flights over residential areas and limits on flights. Kadena Town Mayor Miyagi Tokujitsu said, "Why do F15s that are supposed to be in Alaska appear near Okinawa? The United States is freely using Kadena Base as part of its backyard. The Japanese government should at least limit the ways the base is used by the U.S. forces if it claims to be a sovereign government." (end) |