Somehow, the Marines were able to misplace an $80 million F-35 fighter jet. The pilot who abandoned it gave a story which doesn’t add up. Now the Pentagon is up against searching for something designed not to be detected.
F-35 abandoned mid-flight
According to the reports which have been released so far, there wasn’t anything mechanically wrong with the F-35 but the trainee pilot bailed out anyway. The plane continued flying merrily along on it’s pre-programmed autopilot course but nobody can find it.
The only reported problem with the jet was the “transponder” alleged failed. That’s why it couldn’t be tracked. Eventually, it ran out of gas and came down somewhere. Officials hope it was in one of two local lakes. They also hope there wasn’t a Chinese sub waiting for it on the bottom.
What we do know is that the pilot reported the transponder problem then hit his ejector seat, somewhere over Charleston, S.C., on Sunday, September 17.
America’s military was the most feared and respected in the world under President Trump
Now we have trans leaders losing F-35 jets under Biden while he checks his watch at soldier funerals pic.twitter.com/3lN1wUDtrS
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 18, 2023
It’s not clear if he talked over his decision to abandon the F-35 mid-flight with the tower first, or simply did it before anyone could say no. Officials at Joint Base Charleston are jumping up and down so hard that their brass is jingling.
According to an official statement, they’re “working with a local Marine base” to “locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap.” They report that “the pilot ejected safely from the jet and is receiving medical care.”
They don’t say anything about having him in custody or relieving him of duty. They are begging for any help the public can give them. If you were out fishing and saw a jet nose dive into the drink, the Pentagon would appreciate a call.
Help our recovery teams
Anyone at all who has “any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600,” they tapped out on X.
Since nobody reported any flaming impact craters in their back yard, the military is searching for the missing jet “north of Joint Base Charleston, near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.” Nobody is taking the official story at face value. The Hill points out “the incident is raising eyebrows across the country.”
South Carolina lawmaker Nancy Mace demands to know “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?” This isn’t an ordinary stealth fighter.
JUST IN: The U.S. military has set up a missing jet hotline after an F-35 went missing.
$900B for our national defense budget but they need you and me to find a jet.
“Search is on now for the missing F 35. They don't know where it is and are asking the public for help.”… pic.twitter.com/YZ4zZltdSU
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 18, 2023
“The missing plane is a F-35B Lightning II jet, a fifth-generation aircraft and one of the most advanced warplanes in the world.” The MSRP sticker sits around $80 million and change.
Meanwhile, things aren’t real pleasant at the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The aviation unit which operates on the East Coast doesn’t want to shell out of pocket to replace the missing jet.
The manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, brags in the brochure that “the jet’s main advantages are that it is nearly impossible to track with radar and is packed with advanced sensors and other gear.“