The US military has the public in the search for a fighter jet of the type F-35 asked for help. The plane disappeared on Sunday after the pilot escaped using the ejection seat due to a “glitch”. He landed in a residential area of the city of Charleston, South Carolina, and was then treated in the hospital. And the jet? Seemed gone. Joint Base Charleston wrote on Monday afternoon that forces were deployed in the air and on the ground. The army also called on the population via social media to provide possible information – including a telephone number for relevant information.
The search sparked ridicule in the United States. “The U.S. military is missing one F-35. If you find one, it could be their jet,” headlined US broadcaster CNN. “We knew it was F-35 is disguised, but that’s ridiculous,” wrote the Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina on X.
It was speculated whether the fighter jet could have continued to fly on autopilot for quite a while. Or fell into the water somewhere. But a good day later, Joint Base Charleston reported, well, the search was successful. Debris was found in Willamsburg County, about two hours northeast of the military base, according to the statement on X.
The stealth jet F-35 from the US defense company Lockheed Martin is considered one of the most modern combat aircraft in the world. The missing jet was a F-35B – i.e. a high-flyer who covers shorter distances. Stealth jets like that F-35 have a special geometry. Their surfaces are arranged at special angles so as not to reflect back a signal. A conventional, high-frequency radar receives too little of an echo. According to various reports, the now missing fighter jet currently costs between 80 and 100 million US dollars (around 75 to 96 million euros).
What exactly happened initially remained unclear – including why the pilot had to eject during training on Sunday. A second F-35The pilot, who also took part in the exercise, landed without any problems.
Various emergency services, both military and civilian, were involved in the search. In addition to the ridicule, the incident also raised security concerns. reports about this New York Times. The acting commander of the Marines ordered a two-day “pause in operations” for all Marine Corps aviation units.
Germany has ordered 35 of the American fighter jets, the first jets of the type F-35A Lightning II should be used from 2026. Cost factor: around ten billion euros. Hopefully none of the machines will be lost.