Another US$100 Million F35 Stealth Jet Crashes (In The South China Sea). Seven F35 Crashes So Far

 Last Sunday January 24, 2022 an American F35 Stealth fighter crashed in the South China Sea. This is the SEVENTH F35 Stealth fighter to crash so far. The jets cost US$100 million each. There is no insurance cover for airforce aircraft. Lockheed Martin will now have to manufacture another seven planes. They will earn another US$700 million. First the news.   Do read my comments below.

F-35 Crashes In South China sea: Another ‘Mighty’ Stealth Fighter Crashes

Complete List Of Accidents Involving 5th-Gen F35

 

 

 

high-end F35 involved in seven incidents in recent years

F-35C crash lands on Carl Vinson carrier in South China Sea (no.1)

• 7 personnel injured on Jan 24, pilot ejected
• pilot performing routine flight when incident took place

• F-35 Fighters: Previous Accidents 
• Jan 24 incident is 2nd F-35 plane crash this year
  

Jan 4 South Korean F-35 belly landing, landing gear broke (no.2)  

Nov 3 2021, British F-35B crash in Mediterranean (no.3)
during takeoff from HMS Queen Elizabeth (see video)

 

• aircraft slips off British carrier, crashes into sea 
• Sept 2018, US F-35B crash in South Carolina, defective fuel tube (no.4)
  
• US grounded entire fleet of F-35 fighters
• May 2020 F-35 crash landing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (no.5)
  
• pilot and plane both responsible for disaster US Air Force said 
• faulty flight control, faulty helmet-mounted display, oxygen system 
• Oct 2020 F-35B crashed near El Centro, Calif (no.6)
  
• following collision with KC-130J tanker during mid-air refueling 
• Sept 2019 Japanese F-35A crashed into sea during night flight (no.7)
  
• killing pilot Maj. Akinori Hosomi
• F35 wreckage still on seafloor, 5,000 feet below 
• Japanese blamed spatial disorientationfor disaster
  
• pilot cannot sense position, attitude, altitude, motion of plane

My comments :

Once again the news of the American F35 Stealth fighter crashing into the South China Sea on January 24th has been completely blacked out. Similar to the crash of the British Navy's F35 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last November (2021) - it was also completely blacked out (except for that leaked video on YouTube).

I knew something was amiss when the Chinese Air Force sent 52 warplanes into the South China Sea on Sunday (24th Jan) and on Monday (25 Jan).  

The western media said China was once again intruding into Taiwan airspace. No such thing. The Chinese sent up electronic warfare planes, anti-submarine planes and helicopters to detect the crashed F35.

• China sent 52 aircraft towards Taiwan on Sun and Mon 
• 39 PLA aircraft entered on Sun
• 13 more aircraft on Mon
  
• 1st group 34 J-16 fighters, 4 electronic warfare, one H-6 bomber 
• Monday 10 J-16s, two H-6 bombers, one Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft

 

My Comments :

The crashed F35 has not been found yet. The Americans are going crazy trying to recover the F35. If China gets their hands on the plane they will be able to learn all its secrets (and its weaknesses as well, and it looks like there are many weaknesses, seven F35s have crashed since 2018).

This is the second time the Americans are facing problems with their military in the South China Sea. Just a few weeks back one of their Seawolf class nuclear submarines was almost sunk by a Chinese underwater drone. 

What is interesting is that the Chinese have the capacity to monitor the US Navy with pinpoint accuracy. The great game has changed.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.