Surprising video captured an F-35 fighter jet plummeting onto the runway and bursting into flames throughout a coaching train at Eielson Air Power Base in Alaska early Tuesday afternoon.
The footage, shared on social media, exhibits the $81 million jet spiraling to the bottom after the pilot ejected from the plane and floated safely onto the runway because of their parachute.
Even so, the pilot was transported to the Bassett Military Hospital for statement, in line with a press launch from the 354th Fighter Wing’s public affairs workplace.
The pilot skilled an “inflight malfunction” earlier than the crash, Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, mentioned at a press briefing.
Because the wreckage continues to be cleaned up, Wing officers have warned towards stopping on the close by freeway to ogle on the stays and famous that images alongside the part nearest to the bottom is prohibited underneath federal regulation.
“Our persons are our most essential useful resource, and we’re dedicated in making certain their security and safety. I can guarantee you the US Air Power will conduct an intensive investigation in hopes to reduce the probabilities of such occurrences from occurring once more,” Townsend mentioned within the assertion.
F-35 jet producer Lockheed Martin has come underneath hearth for reducing corners in its manufacturing of the plane whereas nonetheless making it obscenely costly.
The worth of the fighter jet has been lower lately, dropping from roughly $135.8 million every in 2021 to $81 million in 2024 per a preliminary deal between the US Division of Protection and Lockheed Martin.
In November, Division of Authorities Effectivity head Elon Musk slammed the Pentagon’s F-35 program for its shoddy execution and promised to chop federal spending for it.
“The F-35 design was damaged on the necessities stage, as a result of it was required to be too many issues to too many individuals. This made it an costly & advanced jack of all trades, grasp of none. Success was by no means within the set of attainable outcomes,” Musk wrote on X.
“And manned fighter jets are out of date within the age of drones anyway,” Musk added. “Will simply get pilots killed.”
Musk asserted that the way forward for warfare lies in drone-oriented weaponry, together with fighter jets.
The F-35 program is predicted to run by way of 2088 with prices anticipated to exceed $2 trillion, in line with the US Authorities Accountability Workplace.
With Put up wires
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