The Defense Ministry resumed flights of Air Self-Defense Force F-35A stealth fighter jets Thursday afternoon, having suspended them since a fatal crash in April, the first ever reported for the aircraft.
In June, the ministry concluded that the crash of an F-35A into the Pacific Ocean off Aomori Prefecture had likely been the result of the pilot suffering vertigo. The ministry has since received consent to resume flights from the heads of local governments in Aomori Prefecture, which hosts 12 F-35As.
"We've taken thorough measures for safety management," Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Thursday morning.