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A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, disconnects from a KC-135 Stratotanker while training on Jan. 10, 2020.

A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, disconnects from a KC-135 Stratotanker while training on Jan. 10, 2020. (Cynthia Belio/U.S. Air Force)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — An F/A-18E Super Hornet lost a refueling cover Wednesday while flying over water near Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, the Navy said in a statement Thursday.

“The location where the cover was lost is yet to be determined, however the flight path occurred primarily over water and a U.S.-controlled airfield, and there are no safety concerns for the public,” it added.

A post-flight inspection found no further damage to the aircraft, according to the Navy’s statement, which said the incident is under investigation.

The Okinawa Defense Bureau, a branch of Japan’s defense ministry, declined to comment on Friday.

The jet belongs to Strike Fighter Squadron 115 and was training with Air Force F-15 Strike Eagles from Kadena when the part was lost, according to a report in the Okinawa Times newspaper.

The squadron is part of Carrier Air Wing 5 based at MCAS Iwakuni. It regularly deploys with the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, now at its homeport at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan.

bolinger.james@stripes.com Twitter: @bolingerj2004

ichihashi.aya@stripes.com Twitter: @AyaIchihashi

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