Support: September 21, 2002

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The Japanese Air Self Defense Force has discovered sabotage in six of its F-4EJ Phantom fighters and an RF-4EJ recon plane. Electrical, fuel, and hydraulic lines were deliberately cut while the planes were undergoing maintenance at the Mitsubishi facility at Komaki. Plant officials say it is not possible for an outsider to reach the planes, so the saboteur is almost certainly an employee. The seven damaged aircraft were discovered and repaired before the aircraft returned to their units, so none were lost in flight. The series of incidents have stopped, perhaps because the saboteur feared heightened security.--Stephen V Cole