It was around 2 pm on Sunday that the pilot of an F-535 fighter jet shot out over the US state of South Carolina.
It is still not clear what happened, but according to official statements the plane was involved in “an accident”, writes BBC.
The pilot made it down to the ground using a parachute, and was admitted to hospital. The condition is described as stable.
– Nobody knows
However, the plane has not been seen since the “accident”, and has been reported missing.
So far, fruitless searches have been underway at Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.
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The American defense has therefore asked for the public’s help in the hunt for the plane, which according to AFP has a price tag of around 80 million dollars.
– How the hell do you lose an F-35? asks Republican Nancy Mace, who sits in Congress for South Carolina X/Twitter.
– Why isn’t there a tracking system? And we ask the audience what? Finding it and turning it in?
Now that I got that out of the way. How in the hell do you lose an F-35?
How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) September 18, 2023
According to the BBC, however, the aircraft is of the Stealth type, and thus designed to avoid detection.
– No one knows if the plane is in the air or if it is under water, writes Mace further.
Depending on how much fuel the plane has left, it can continue for hundreds of kilometers without a pilot, says military expert and former officer in the British military, Frank Ledwidge to Newsweek.
Frederik Mertens, who is an analyst at the Hague Center for Security Studies, agrees.
– Historically, a plane without a pilot can fly far on autopilot, he says to Newsweek.
The F-35 fighter is described by the Norwegian Armed Forces as one of the world’s best combat aircraft, and has a price accordingly. This accident is described as “a shock to everyone”. Video: Storyblocks, Twitter. Reporter: Marte Nyløkken Helseth / Dagbladet. view more
Most expensive weapon
To the British broadcaster, the United States Marine Corps says that it currently has limited information about what has happened, and is still trying to piece together the threads.
The incident is under investigation, they say.
According to US authorities, the F-35 aircraft is one of the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons systems. It is estimated that the aircraft will cost US taxpayers 1.7 trillion dollars to “buy, operate and maintain” during the aircraft’s useful life, writes Business Insider.
2023-09-18 20:57:35
#F35 #trace #hell
