Japanese defence officials have lodged a formal complaint with the US after dramatic footage of a fighter jet flying below the permitted altitude was uploaded to YouTube.

The F-16 fighter jet captured cockpit views as it passed at high-speed through mountains in an apparent breach of regulations, while taking part in training in northeastern Japan.

After the footage was published online, officials from the defence ministry’s regional office issued a complaint to Misawa Air Base in Aomori, north Japan, where the jet is based, according to Kyodo News Agency.

Japanese officials reportedly urged the commander of the US base to abide by aviation laws, which prohibit aircraft from flying below an altitude of 150 metres in non-residential areas.

The dramatic YouTube footage, which runs for around 10 minutes, has been viewed more than 414,000 times since it was uploaded earlier this month. </s> Step aside Boeing, it's Lockheed Martin's turn to bask in the spotlight for at least a few hours.

Earlier today, a Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jet with one pilot on board unexpectedly disappeared from radar while on a training mission over the Pacific on Tuesday night, Kyodo reported citing the defense ministry. The fighter jet went missing at around 7:27 p.m. (1027 GMT) as it was flying 135 km (84 miles) east of Misawa in northeastern Japan, a ministry spokeswoman said.

It was not immediately clear if it had crashed, the spokesperson said, adding: “We are still trying to search for the aircraft.”

The fate of the pilot was also not immediately clear.

According to Japan's NHK, the plane lost contact about 30 minutes after taking off from Misawa Air Base, and added that the Self-Defence Forces and coastguard dispatched vessels to carry out rescue operations, NHK added.

What is embarrassing, is that according to the Defense Report, Japan’s first F-35A fighter squadron based at Misawa became operational on March 29.

As a result of the unexplained, and first ever, disappearance of the stealth fighter, Kyodo also reports that Japan will ground its entire fleet of F-35s until there is more clarity on what happened today.
Japan lodges a formal complaint after footage appears on YouTube of a US F-16 fighter jet based at Misawa Air Base in Aomori flying at high speed and low altitude through mountains in an apparent breach of regulations. Japanese law prohibits aircraft from descending below 150 feet in non-residential areas.