Latest news with #F-2
Japan Forward
3 days ago
- General
- Japan Forward
Japan Self-Defense Force Fighter Jet Crashes in Pacific
At around 12:35 PM on August 7, an F-2 fighter jet from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's (JASDF) Hyakuri Air Base crashed during a training exercise over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture. The base is located in Omigawa City, Ibaraki. The pilot made an emergency ejection and was rescued. He is in stable condition, though it is still unclear what prompted the ejection or if he was injured. According to the Ministry of Defense, a UH-60J helicopter from the JASDF's Hyakuri Rescue Unit recovered the pilot and transported him to a hospital. No damage to ships or other vessels has been reported. A similar incident occurred on February 20, 2019, when an F-2 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise over the Sea of Japan. Both crew members were rescued. (File photo ©Sankei by Kotaro Hikono) The F-2 is a multirole fighter developed jointly by Japan and the United States, based on the American F-16 platform. Its strengths include anti-ship, ground attack, and air-to-air combat capabilities. Built with Japan's advanced carbon fiber composite technology, the F-2 features a lightweight, seamless airframe. Prior to the introduction of the F-35 stealth fighter, the F-2 served as a key aircraft for the defense of Japan's remote islands. On June 24, Philippine Air Force Commander Lt Gen Arthur Cordura expressed interest in acquiring retired Mitsubishi-made fighter jets from Japan, likely referring to the F-2. No formal negotiations have begun. ( Read the related article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
Japan ASDF Fighter Crashes off Ibaraki Pref.
News from Japan Society Aug 7, 2025 20:11 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter crashed into the ocean off Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, during a training exercise on Thursday. The sole pilot on board ejected from the aircraft and was taken to a hospital after being rescued by an ASDF helicopter. The pilot is not injured. "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to the public," Takehiro Morita, chief of staff of the ASDF, told an extraordinary press conference on Thursday. The accident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. The F-2, part of the 7th Air Wing based at the ASDF Hyakuri base in the city of Omitama, Ibaraki, took off from the base at 11:44 a.m. and was training in an airspace some 150 kilometers northeast of the base together with three other F-2 aircraft and two ASDF rescue aircraft at the time of the accident. The pilot made an emergency escape after reporting an abnormality to air traffic control. No damage to nearby ships or facilities has been reported. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan fighter jet crashes, lone pilot ejected and rescued, NHK reports
An Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jet, foreground, parks at Oita Airport during an SDF joint exercise on Nov. 13. (Takayuki Kozaki) A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F2 fighter jet crashed off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan during a training exercise, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. The lone pilot ejected from the aircraft and was not in a life-threatening condition after being rescued, NHK reported.
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
I moved to the US, but got fed up with fighting the immigration system. I've taken a salary hit in Canada, but I feel like I belong.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Sindhu Mahadevan, who moved from the US to Canada in 2021. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I moved to the US from India in 2012 to study a master's degree in biology. I graduated and entered the workforce in the States, but slowly began to grow disillusioned with the US immigration system. In 2021, I decided to stop fighting the system and move to Canada. Although I've left behind the high salaries available in the US, I've traded it for a sense of belonging as a permanent resident in Canada. I entered the American workforce, but felt vulnerable as an immigrant I grew up in a city in western India. I had family who lived in the US. I moved there on an F-1 visa for international students and graduated in 2014. My visa status made me eligible for two types of work authorization — optional practical training (OPT) and curricular practical training (CPT), both of which I used. I knew that after my student work authorization expired, I'd require a visa sponsorship. Some companies I applied to told me they wouldn't offer sponsorships or ghosted me after they realized I'd eventually need one. I started a career in the medical device industry and was employed under my work authorization until 2018. I was very conscious of my immigration status at work. I struggled to have difficult conversations about aligning everyone on compliance issues because I was worried about my job security. Sometimes, I felt this affected how well I could do my job. The path to a green card didn't feel possible I got married in 2015, and my husband, who was also on a visa, and I wanted to try to build a life in the US. I felt I needed permanent residency to do this. I wanted the freedom to visit India and the flexibility to change jobs, which became complicated on an F-1 visa. In 2016 and 2017, my company tried twice to get me an H-1B visa, which can be a step toward permanent residency in the US. Petitions are chosen for processing through a lottery selection system, but I wasn't picked either time. Around that time, I started to find out more information about the green card backlog for Indian nationals. There's a cap per country at 7% of all the green cards allocated that year. India has a large population with a lot of applicants, so there is a very long waitlist to have your applications processed. I felt I was thrashing against the system just to be able to stay in the country and contribute. In a moment of clarity, I realized I wasn't willing to keep fighting. In 2018, I no longer had work authorization and had to stop working. I didn't like not making an income at all, and it felt like a hard-won career had been yanked away from me. I moved to Canada as a permanent resident and have found a sense of belonging As a temporary solution, I tried changing my status from an F-1 to an F-2 visa, which would make me a dependent of my husband's F-1. I was allowed to remain in the US while my application was pending. Around the same time I filed the application to change my status, I began looking at backup plans. Moving to Canada was on the cards through the "Express Entry" system. It's a points-based system that scores applicants on things like their education, work experience, and language proficiencies. The highest-scoring applicants receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. My work experience was American-centric. Canada was a better fit than Europe or Asia. I applied just before the pandemic hit in 2020, when I still hadn't heard back with a final decision about changing my status to F-2. I received PR in October 2021, and my husband and I went to Canada straight away. As a permanent resident, I can work and buy property, but I can't vote in elections or stay outside Canada for longer than 730 days in a five-year window. In the US, I was a passenger along for the ride. In Canada, with PR status, I'm back in the driver's seat. I feel comfortable and in a solid legal position. As a permanent resident, I can take chances with my career I haven't had issues getting employment without Canadian experience, a problem some expats face, perhaps because my US experience is seen as valuable in my industry. I had a job lined up before the move. I've taken a salary hit, but with my PR status I have the freedom to take a chance working for a startup, something I wouldn't have dreamed of while in the US, where if the startup went under and I lost my job, it could mean the end of the road. Though more politely presented here than in the US, anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada concerns me, even though I haven't personally experienced negativity. People are expressing concerns around strained healthcare and housing, and Canada is experiencing immigration contraction. I'm fine with Canada's smaller economy Living in America shaped me in many ways. I admire Americans for their zeal to fight for what they believe in and to speak up. I don't regret moving there. If you're looking for the best universities or economy, the rational choice is the US. I moved to the US for my education, but the constraints of the immigration system slowly overshadowed the economic opportunities. I'm fine being in a smaller economy where I have more security. In a statement to BI, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said it was "committed to restoring integrity to the visa program" and ensuring people cannot illegally remain in the US.
Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
North Korea Warns US Over Strategic Bombers Near Airspace
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. North Korea has accused the United States of threatening regional peace by deploying strategic bombers for a trilateral exercise over the Korean Peninsula last week. The drill—which involved aircraft from the U.S., Japan and South Korea—showed collective ability to respond immediately to regional security challenges, according to the U.S. military. Why It Matters North Korea is one of nine nuclear-armed nations, with an estimated 50 warheads and long-range missiles capable of delivering nuclear strikes against the U.S. mainland. Kim Jong Un, the country's leader, has vowed to pursue the "unlimited expansion" of his nuclear arsenal. Facing North Korea's growing threats, Japan and South Korea are under the protection of U.S. extended deterrence—also known as the nuclear umbrella—which refers to the pledge to deter and respond to nuclear threats, including through the use of U.S. nuclear weapons. What To Know A pair of American B-52H bombers was escorted by two Japanese F-2 fighter aircraft and two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets during a trilateral flight on Friday, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. It was the third such flight between the allies this year. Fighter aircraft from Japan and South Korea escort two U.S. B-52H bombers over the East China Sea on July 11, 2025. Fighter aircraft from Japan and South Korea escort two U.S. B-52H bombers over the East China Sea on July 11, 2025. South Korean Air Force The B-52H bomber is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds of ordnance, such as bombs and missiles, the U.S. Air Force says. According to the Federation of American Scientists, 46 of the 76 B-52H bombers are nuclear-capable, while the rest are conventionally armed only. It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. bombers that participated in the allied drill were nuclear-capable. Each nuclear-armed B-52H aircraft can carry up to 20 AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles for nuclear strikes, the Federation of American Scientists added. According to the Japanese and South Korean defense ministries, the flight was conducted over the East China Sea, west of Japan's Kyushu Island and off the coast of South Korea's Jeju Island. Officially released photos show six allied military aircraft flying in formation. In a statement released on Sunday, the chief of the Policy Office of North Korea's Defense Ministry claimed that joint military activities between the U.S. and its two allies are the "main danger factors" heightening the level of military tension on the Korean Peninsula. "It is our just sovereign right to take countermeasures against provocative military actions such as the moves to strengthen the multilateral military alliance threatening the security of the region and the joint military drills with clear aggressive character," the statement warned. North Korea's Defense Ministry also said that the country's armed forces remain in "constant military preparedness" to counter what it called "collective provocations" by the U.S. and its allies, deter their aggression, and respond to "acts of war." Japanese and South Korean fighters are seen with American B-52H bombers over the East China Sea on July 11, 2025. Japanese and South Korean fighters are seen with American B-52H bombers over the East China Sea on July 11, 2025. South Korean Air Force What People Are Saying The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a press release on Friday: "Our steadfast commitment fosters trust, strengthens cooperation, and reinforces the collective will and ability to maintain security and stability in the Indo-Pacific." Japan's Joint Staff Office said in a press release on Saturday: "This exercise strongly promotes trilateral cooperation to respond to regional security challenges amid an increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, and demonstrates the strong commitment of the three countries to secure a free and open international order based on the rule of law." South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Friday: "Based on close coordination, the three countries will cooperate to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats while continuing with three-way training." The chief of the Policy Office of North Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement in English on Sunday: "We express serious concern over [U.S., Japanese and South Korean] hostile acts of persistently conducting provocative and threatening military actions while deliberately ignoring the security concern of [North Korea] and strongly warn of the grave consequences to be entailed by them on the regional situation." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether North Korea will take further action, such as firing ballistic missiles toward waters near Japan and South Korea, thereby showcasing its military capabilities.
