US’s F-35 fighter jet crashes in Alaska

Alaska: An F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday, but the pilot was safe after bailing out, base officials said.

The pilot experienced an ‘in-flight malfunction,’ and was able to eject from the aircraft, US Air Force Colonel Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, told a news conference, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The crash happened while landing during a training exercise, according to the report.

Eielson Air Force Base said in a statement that the incident on Tuesday afternoon resulted in ‘significant damage’ to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

The pilot was safe and taken to Bassett Army Hospital, according to the statement.

“I can assure you the United States Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation in hopes to minimize the chances of such occurrences from happening again,” Townsend said in the statement.

The F-35 is the most expensive US defense program and Lockheed Martin's biggest revenue generator, contributing about 30 percent of its bottom line.

Lockheed said earlier on Tuesday it would be less profitable than expected in 2025, in part because of a delayed rollout of upgrades to the F-35.

The Pentagon plans to spend $1.7 trillion on the F-35 program, including buying 2,500 planes in the coming decades.

SOURCE: REUTERS