The USAF’s most expensive fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, F-35B, has gone missing after a mishap forced the pilot to eject over South Carolina. A frantic search has been mounted as the aircraft might have eluded the radars, with observers wondering if the aircraft’s stealth hinders the effort.
US Stealthiest F-35 Fighter Vanishes Into Thin Air After Pilot Ejects; USAF Hunts For 'Invisible' Aircraft
US Stealthiest F-35 Fighter Vanishes Into Thin Air After Pilot Ejects; USAF Hunts For ‘Invisible’ Aircraft
The pilot was treated at a local hospital after ejection at about 2 pm on September 17 local time, but the jet worth US$90 million was not found till evening.
The plane was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, and Joint Base Charleston appealed to the public to help locate the fighter jet.
Based on the last location of the aircraft, the search is being conducted around lakes Moultrie and Marion in South Carolina.
Based on the last location of the aircraft, the search is being conducted around lakes Moultrie and Marion in South Carolina.
- The reason behind the ejection has not been ascertained yet.
- Generally, a search and rescue beacon is fitted into the pilot’s ejection seat to locate him/her following the ejection.
- “The aircraft doesn’t have any geo-locator in it, so if the aircraft vanished from the radar, it is difficult to search for it electronically,” a retired official told the EurAsian Times.
The base is close to the coastline. And the possibility of the fighter jet plunging into the ocean cannot be ruled out with certainty now.
The incident is a reminder of the time when a MiG-23 flew for over 900 kilometers through Europe after the pilot’s ejection. The pilotless aircraft crashed in Belgium.
The F-35’s Cloak Of Invisibility
The F-35 Lightning II is dubbed as one of the stealthiest fighter jets that took to the skies. Its ability to move in and out of the enemy’s space with impunity hinges on its stealth capabilities.
Unlike common understanding, stealth is not total invisibility. Stealth eases or complicates the enemy’s ability to find and shoot down an aircraft through design, tactics, and technology.
Unlike common understanding, stealth is not total invisibility. Stealth eases or complicates the enemy’s ability to find and shoot down an aircraft through design, tactics, and technology.
The String Of Accidents Of F-35
The F-35 can fly as high as Mach 1.6 and carry an internal payload of four weapons without compromising its stealth. But, more than its firepower, the situational awareness it provides to the pilot through its immense computing power makes it more potent. It is why F-35s have come to be known as “quarterbacks in the sky” or “a computer that happens to fly.”
Presently, 17 air forces around the world fly F-35s. Designed from the ground up to prioritize low-observability, the F-35 is a single-engine fighter jet. It has three variants.
Presently, 17 air forces around the world fly F-35s. Designed from the ground up to prioritize low-observability, the F-35 is a single-engine fighter jet. It has three variants.
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