18 Sep 2023 | 08:09pm IST
US Marine Corps F-35 Fighter Jet Goes Missing After In-Flight Emergency
Team Herald
A US Marine Corps fighter jet has disappeared in South
Carolina following a mid-flight emergency, with the pilot safely ejecting from
the aircraft on Sunday. US military authorities have issued a public appeal for
assistance in locating the missing multimillion-dollar F-35 plane, as reported
by the Guardian.
According to military sources, a Marine Corps pilot ejected
safely from the F-35 Lightning II jet during a 'mishap' over North Charleston
on Sunday afternoon. Base authorities, in coordination with federal aviation
regulators, are conducting search efforts around two lakes north of Charleston.
Joint Base Charleston, the leading entity in the search, has
requested assistance from local residents, urging them to report any
information to aid in the recovery of the F-35. A statement posted on the
base's X account (formerly known as Twitter) reads, 'If you have any
information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the
Base Defense Operations Center.'
In response to the incident, Congresswoman Nancy Mace
expressed astonishment on X, saying, '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?'
The F-35 aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin, carries an
approximate price tag of $80 million each, as stated in an AFP report.
