An F-35 plane crashes in South Carolina; incident comes the same week the plane flew the first combat mission

An F-35B fighter plane crashed near Beaufort Marine Corps airbase in South Carolina on Friday morning, military officials said just days after the high-tech jet made its first combat mission in Afghanistan.

"At approximately 11:45 am, a squadron of 2D naval aircraft struck near the Broad River in Beaufort County. The pilot was safely ejected and examined by the medical staff, "Marine Corps officials said in a statement. "To ensure the safety of the general public and the agents responsible for securing the site, all civilians must remain clear. More information will be provided as soon as it will be available. "

The incident, which is being investigated, occurs the same week the aircraft was first used in a combat zone.

The F-35B fighters with the Marine Fighter 211 Attack Squadron made their first combat missions to Afghanistan this week, US military officials said on Thursday, launching airstrikes in support of "guard operations in the United States." ground".

The state-of-the-art aircraft – which has drawn the wrath of President Trump for its high price and multiple delays in deployment – is designed to take off and land vertically on Navy ships and Marine Corps bases. a step forward for military aviation.

Earlier Friday, Pentagon contractor Lockheed Martin had announced significant cost savings for the aircraft. The F-35B, one of three F-35 models, saw its price drop 5.7% to 115.5 million dollars by air, said officials Lockheed and Pentagon in a statement.

"Cost reduction is critical to the success of this program," said Vice-Admiral Mat Winter, F-35 Program Manager at the Pentagon. "We respect our commitment to get the best price for taxpayers and fighters. This agreement for the next batch of F-35 represents a fair deal for the US government, our international partnership and our industry. We remain focused on aggressively reducing the costs of the F-35 and creating the best value.