Navy and civilian salvage experts located the at-sea crash site of an Air Force F-16 and recovered key components for evaluation, according to recovery company Phoenix International Holdings of Largo, Md. Company spokesman Peter LeHardy confirmed to the Daily Report on Monday that the aircraft was indeed the F-16 from Misawa AB, Japan, that crashed off the northeast coast of that country last July. The salvage team in August located the debris field more than 16,400 feet below the surface of the Pacific using side-scan sonar and a submersible robot, according to the company’s Jan. 3 release. Despite the extreme depth and heavy seas, the team was able to locate the engine and flight-data recorders and conduct a thorough survey of the wreck. Over the course of 12 dives, the remotely operated sub retrieved “all critical items desired by the embarked accident investigating board,” according to the company.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.