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On Friday morning, a military plane crashed in Beaufort County, South Carolina, provoking a reaction from the police.
The accident occurred at approximately 11:45 am EST near Clarendon Road and Joe Allen Drive in Grays Hill, South Carolina, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. About three miles from the accident site is Marine Corps Beaufort Air Force Base. The army confirmed that a military plane had crashed.
A photo posted by WSMV on Twitter showed that smoke was flowing into the air on the other side of a lake. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office asked the public to avoid the area.
The aircraft type was not released, but the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office tweeted that the pilot had been safely ejected and was being assessed for injuries.
The Marine Corps Public Affairs Office has confirmed Newsweek as the plane that crashed was an F-35B, making it the first F-35B crash in history.
The F-35 aircraft has been touted as the future of the US military, as it is the first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. He is able to take off on a short runway and can land like a helicopter, allowing him to maneuver tight spaces. The F-35B aircraft are stationed in the United States at Marine Corps Air Base in Yuma, Arizona, and Marine Corps Air Base in Beaufort, South Carolina. F-35B training is conducted at both stations.
It has been considered one of the most expensive airplanes in history. However, Friday, the Ministry of Defense (DoD) and Lockheed Martin reached an agreement that would lower the price of the aircraft by 5.4 percent, according to Forbes.
At $ 89.2 million per plane, DoD will purchase 141 aircraft for $ 11.5 billion. The cost of the F-35 variant used by the Marines, the F-35B, dropped by 5.7% to 115.5 million dollars by plane. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2019.
"Cost reduction is critical to the success of this program," said Vice Admiral Mat Winter, F-35 Program Director, in a statement. The Washington Examiner.
On Thursday, the F-35B conducted its first air attack in Afghanistan against a fixed target of the Taliban, according to CNN.
"During this mission, the F-35B conducted an airstrike in support of ground clearance operations and the Land Force Commander found that the strike was successful," said the Corps. in a statement.
US President Donald Trump described the F-35 as incredible and super stealthy. Trump added that the planes are the "best in the world".
This is a story in development and will be updated as new information becomes available.
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