[3rd Report] F-5 Fighter Jet Crash... "Pilot Search Underway"

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] Around 1:45 PM on the 11th, a fighter jet crashed into a hill near Gwanhang-ri, Jeongnam-myeon, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do.

According to the Air Force and fire authorities, an F-5E from the Air Force Suwon Base took off and crashed while ascending. It is currently being confirmed whether the pilot ejected in an emergency. The fire authorities received multiple reports of the fighter jet crash and dispatched two fire helicopters, 18 vehicles, and 40 personnel to the scene.

It has been confirmed that there were no other occupants besides the pilot on the crashed fighter jet. The F-5E fighter jet is one of the oldest fighter models operated by our Air Force.

The F-5E is an upgraded version of the F-5, developed to counter the Soviet MiG-21. It was designed and produced by the American defense contractor Northrop Grumman, and since the 1980s, Korean Air imported parts and assembled them domestically, delivering them to the Air Force under the nickname "Gyejeongho (KF-5E)".

Among the upgraded versions of the F-5, the F-5A/B are nicknamed "Freedom Fighter," and the F-5E/F are called "Tiger II." The Republic of Korea Air Force operates the F-5E and F-5F in active service.

The fighter jet that crashed on this day was an F-5E model, a single-seat aircraft with one pilot. This model was introduced from the United States in 1975, and Korea has also assembled and produced the two-seat F-5F domestically since 1983. The F-5E/F was licensed for production not only in the U.S. but also in Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, with production ending in 1987.

The F-5, most of which have exceeded or are close to the typical 30-year service life of fighter jets, is known for frequent accidents. Since 2000, 12 of these fighter jets have crashed in Korea alone, earning the notorious reputation as an "accident-prone model."

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