AP Photo/Kyodo News via Tim Robinson
Yesterday's devastating earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan has caused severe damage to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture, located approximately 120 km (80 miles) from the epicentre of the quake, which measured 8.9 on the Richter Scale.
According to the Japanese Defence Ministry, seawater from the tsunami has damaged 28 aircraft, including 18 Mitsubishi F-2 fighters of the JASDF's 21st Hikotai. A number of the damaged aircraft are expected to be total writeoffs.
Matsushima is also home to The Blue Impulse aerobatics team of the JASDF's 11th Hikotai, which were fortunately not at the base at the time, along with UH-60J helicopters and U-125s of the Matsushima Kyunantai (Air Rescue Squadron).
Info courtesy of Nikkei, Scramble and Kyle Mizokami of Japan Security Watch
Additional Links:
Matsushima Airbase on Wikipedia
Matsushima Airbase on Scramble
Higher resolution photos of damaged aircraft at Matsushima
Video of damaged aircraft at Matsushima
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