Damage found to another F-15 fighter undergoing servicing

Japan Policy & Politics, August 19, 2002

NAGOYA, Aug. 14 Kyodo

Another fighter plane has been found to have been tampered with at a defense contractor's works in Aichi Prefecture where seven warplanes were reported earlier this month to have been sabotaged, the Defense Agency and the contractor announced Wednesday.

A connector pin for electrical wiring used in an engine of the F-15DJ fighter being serviced at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Komaki Minami works in Toyoyama was found to have been deliberately bent, according to the announcement.

The damage was apparently done after last Thursday, when it was reported that seven Phantom jets had their wiring cut and spark plugs bent sometime between April and early July, the agency and MHI said.

The tampering case has been reported to Aichi prefectural police. The police suspect someone familiar with the works may have done all the damage, investigation sources said.

Given the revelation of further damage, the Defense Agency on Wednesday requested MHI to thoroughly inspect all aircraft and devices onboard at the Komaki Minami works.

All the SDF units -- Ground, Maritime and Air -- will also conduct checks on all aircraft that have been serviced at the works since January, the agency said.

MHI ruled out the possibility of an accident from the latest find since, as in the earlier case of the seven aircraft -- six F-4EJ Kai fighters and an RF-4E reconnaissance plane -- such defects can be easily discovered in pre-flight inspections.

The fighter in question has been undergoing regular servicing since early March. On Tuesday, an engine which was removed for inspection was refitted to the aircraft and was found to have a connector pin bent, apparently by a tool of some sort, the agency said.

MHI said the F-15DJ was in the No. 1 hangar where the F-4EJ fighters were parked. Some 40 workers were engaged in the servicing.

On Aug. 8, the engine in question was serviced and was without any defect at that time, the firm said.

The Air Self-Defense Force has a total of 45 F-15DJ fighters in six bases in Japan, including Chitose base in Hokkaido and Komatsu base in Ishikawa Prefecture.