US Stealth Fighter Jets Crash One After Another

Five F-22 and F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Accidents in Five Days

Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Accidents involving the crash of the United States' most advanced stealth fighter jets have occurred one after another. Following the F-22 Raptor, the F-35, which is being introduced by our Air Force, also crashed.

According to U.S. media including CNN on the 20th (local time), the F-35 fighter jet was involved in an accident while conducting a regular training flight at a Florida Air Force base the day before. It has been only five days since the F-22 Raptor fighter jet crashed during a training flight on the 15th.

The F-35A Lightning II belonging to the U.S. Air Force's 58th Fighter Squadron involved in the accident was conducting a night landing training flight at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida around 9:30 p.m. the previous night.

Experts point out that it is unusual for the U.S.'s elite stealth fighters to crash consecutively. CNN reported, "The F-35A is one of the most advanced fighters in the U.S., and crashes are rare."

The U.S. Air Force stated in a press release, "The pilot successfully ejected and is currently in stable condition," adding, "There were no civilian casualties or property damage," and said the cause of the crash is under investigation.

The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a 5th generation stealth fighter jet, with a unit price reaching $90 million (110.6 billion KRW). Countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway have introduced it.

This is the third F-35 crash accident. In September 2018, an F-35B fighter jet belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps crashed after taking off from Beaufort Base in South Carolina, and in April last year, an F-35A belonging to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force crashed into the sea during a training flight. The cause of the Japan Self-Defense Force F-35 crash was determined to be pilot error.

The F-22 crash accident is even more unusual. Unlike the F-35, the F-22 is a top-tier strategic weapon that the U.S. does not allow for export.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.