Austin, Kishi Meet After Japan Calls US Decision To Resume F-16 Flights 'Regrettable'

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japan Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi talked on Friday after Kishi described Washington's decision to resume F-16 fights before finishing the probe into one jet dropping its fuel tanks in a residential area as "highly regrettable," the Defense Department press service told Sputnik

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2021) US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japan Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi talked on Friday after Kishi described Washington's decision to resume F-16 fights before finishing the probe into one jet dropping its fuel tanks in a residential area as "highly regrettable," the Defense Department press service told Sputnik.

"I can confirm that the Secretary talked to his counterpart this morning and we expect to post a readout of that phone call today," the official said.

On Tuesday, a US F-16 was forced to drop two fuel tanks near a residential area in the Aomori Prefecture during an emergency landing. The Japanese government made a representation to the United States and demanded the suspension of flights before a probe into the incident was completed. However, the city of Misawa authorities reported F-16 flights two days after the incident. Kishi described the US decision to resume the F-16 flights as "highly regrettable."