Earthquake devastates Japan F-2 sqd

The 18 Mitsubishi F-2Bs of 21st Fighter Sqd at Matsushima AB in northeast Japan appear to be heavily damaged or destroyed by the earthquake-triggered tsunami on 11 March.

In an English-language report, the Kyodo news agency says the coastal Matsushima runway was flooded, damaging all 18 F-2B's "possibly permanently". News photos show that the flood washed one F-2B off the runway, coming to rest with its nose partially inside the window of an office building.

It's not clear what happened to the base's personnel, but an English translation of a Japanese-language report seems to indicate that most of the base's workers were on vacation on the day of the earthquake.

Japan is still coming to grips with the massive damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, with a death toll rising to perhaps 10,000 and a potential nuclear crisis still feared.

Once the humanitarian response transitions into the recovery and rebuilding phase, the Japan self defense forces may have to cope with the loss of an entire training squadron.