The military aircraft was launched from South Carolina this Sunday. The pilot ejected from the ship and the whereabouts of the plane were never found again.
He U.S. government alerted citizens of the area near Charleston, South Carolinafor lost F-35 plane. It was launched from the Air Force Base from that city, but after a few minutes, the transponder, which normally helps locate the aircraft, was not working.
He F-35B Lightning II -valued at more than US$90 million and used by the United States military – ejected its pilot safely, but does not emit signals so they can find where he is. Thus, Jeremy Hugginsspokesperson for the Air Force Base assured that they made a “public call asking for help”.
On social networks, the entity asked the public to they would get in touch with the base if anyone had information about the location of the aircraft after the incident. “The aircraft is stealthyso it has different coatings and designs that make it more difficult to detect than a normal aircraft,” he explained.
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Crews continue searching for the plane, now near the lake Moultrie, a body of murky water that is 22 meters deep at its deepest point and 22 kilometers wide at its widest point.
What are the F-35 aircraft?
The aerospace and military giant is produced by Lockheed Martin, which already flies more than 1,000 F-35 aircraft, although the Deliveries to the United States are suspended temporarily waiting for the completion of some updates.
According to data from the United States Air Forceabout a dozen of these planes were destroyed in accidents since the F-35 entered service in 2015, a rate no lower than other aircraft types.
These aircraft are equipped with transponders and beacons, and several were recovered from hostile environments. Last year, the Marine of the United States recovered an F-35C from a depth of more than 3600 meters after it crashed into the South China Sea.
The F-35B, which can take off and land vertically Like a helicopter, they are among the most expensive in the world; It has a list price of around US$90 million for the latest series. Although they were promoted as critical aircraft of “Next Generation” for the United States, in recent years, American lawmakers have criticized what they consider exorbitant costs associated with the F-35.
Source: Ambito
