青森・三沢基地所属の米戦闘機、模擬弾落下　訓練場外に、けが人なし

　在日米空軍三沢基地（青森県三沢市）に所属するＦ１６戦闘機が、訓練場外の私有地に重さ約２３０キロの模擬弾を落下させていたことが７日、防衛省への取材で分かった。けが人や建物への被害はないといい、同省が詳しい状況を確認している。
　同省によると、訓練中のＦ１６が６日午後６時３５分ごろ、三沢市と同県六ケ所村にまたがる「三沢対地射爆撃場」の西約５キロの牧草地に模擬弾１発を落とした。模擬弾は火薬の代わりにコンクリートが詰められ、深さ約３メートルの地中に埋まっていた。
　米軍は７日朝、防衛省に落下を連絡。その後、「非常に重大だ。同様の模擬弾を使用した訓練を当面中止する」と伝えてきたという。（2019/11/07-18:54）

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet has dropped a 230-kilogram dummy bomb onto a private property near a bombing training site in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, Japanese Defense Ministry officials said Thursday.
   The incident, which took place during a training mission at around 6:35 p.m. Wednesday (9:35 a.m. GMT), caused no human or building damage, the officials said.
   The U.S. military reported the incident to the Japanese ministry on Thursday morning. Later, it said that the incident was very serious and that similar training missions with dummy bombs will be suspended for the time being, according to the officials.
   Following the report, the ministry sent staff to the scene and provided related information to local authorities. It also demanded the U.S. military identify the cause of the incident and tighten safety controls.
   The dummy bomb, filled with concrete, instead of gunpowder, landed on a meadow about 5 kilometers west of the training site, which straddles the city of Misawa and the village of Rokkasho, according to the Japanese defense officials.