As of 4 a.m. Japan Time, the search is still ongoing for the missing U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot who had to eject from his aircraft at approximately 6:40 p.m. on Dec. 7, 120 miles southeast of Iwakuni, Japan.
A U.S. F/A-18 fighter has crashed off the coast of Kōchi Prefecture, Japan at 7pm local time today. The pilot is said to have ejected and a search is currently underway.
Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet recently told reporters that the sailing branch is creating an upgunned Expeditionary Strike Group that will combine a traditional three-ship Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with a three ship guided-missile destroyer surface action group (SAG).