WATCH: F-35 Collapses on Okinawa Runway After Landing Over Electrical Issue
22:54 GMT 01.12.2022 (Updated: 12:15 GMT 06.04.2023)
© Airman Gabrielle Spalding
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The mishap is just the latest in a long line of incidents which suggest the US military’s enormously expensive stealth fighter jet may still be more trouble than it’s worth.
An F-35B stealth fighter collapsed following a landing gear failure on the runway of a US military base in Japan, reports indicate.
Footage of the incident which was posted to social media Thursday shows the jet wobbling while being towed before face-planting onto the tarmac at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.
‼️📹🇺🇸✈️🇯🇵Video of today's incident with the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter of the 121st squadron of the USMC at the Kadena Air Force Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
— AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) December 1, 2022
When towing, the front landing gear dropped pic.twitter.com/0i06pXVPRI
A spokesman for the US Marines reportedly said the F-35B in question had been carrying out “standard training operations” when it was forced to land following a suspected electrical problem. According to a US military outlet, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Maj. Rob Martins promised a “detailed investigation” into the damage sustained by the craft.
“The pilot performed as trained and chose the safest option, landing the aircraft safely in accordance with standard procedures,” Martins said in a statement. “Operating our aircraft safely and effectively is a top priority and our aviators take great precautions to ensure the safety of the aircrew and the surrounding areas.”
But the incident Thursday was just the latest in a series of mishaps which have plagued the notorious F-35 stealth fighter program since its inception.
In 2014, an F-35 belonging to the US Air Forces went up in smoke following a catastrophic engine fire. Just two years later, a blaze in the weapons bay of a US Marine Corp F-35B caused the jet to catch fire mid-flight. In 2018, an F-35 crashed after experiencing a power failure in Beaufort, South Carolina, which a subsequent military investigation determined was due to “a manufacturing defect” causing “an engine fuel tube to rupture during flight.”
In 2020, another F-35 was recorded exploding after smashing into the ground following a mid-air collision with a KC-130J in Southern California.
F-35B Crashing Ground After Mid-Air Collision With KC-130J pic.twitter.com/dPBdVjokJ9
— vladvlad (@vladwlad777) September 30, 2020
Last year, an F-35B belonging to the Royal British Navy had to be fished out of the Mediterranean Sea after it tumbled from an aircraft carrier during takeoff, leading to a joint salvage operation by the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States. And in January 2022, the US had to launch a similar recovery effort in the South China Sea after a failed carrier landing by an F-35C left another pricey stealth fighter jet at the bottom of the ocean.
