U.S. F-16s Collide in Joint Exercise

Two U.S. F-16 military jets collided over waters off northern Japan, the Japanese Coast Guard said. Both pilots ejected from their planes; one was rescued but the other was missing. The jets were participating in a joint U.S.-Japan military exercise, the U.S. military said. A new defense agreement between the two countries authorizes Japan to provide logistical support to the U.S. in the event of an emergency in the region. China has opposed the agreement, saying it is intended to protect Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province. North Korea criticized the drills, labeling them an “open provocation and grave challenge.”