The F-35 crashes for the first time in the 17-year history of the jet, the pilot ejects safely

The US military suffered its first F-35 crash in the 17-year history of the fighter plan, the same day the Pentagon announced it had reached an agreement with the defense company Lockheed Martin lot of planes at a historic low.

The Marine Corps F-35 variant, known as the F-35B Lightning II, crashed at 11.45 am on Friday at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Base in South Carolina. the Marine Corps. The service did not give any presumed cause to the accident, claiming that the incident remained under investigation.

"The US Navy pilot safely ejected the single-seater aircraft and is currently being assessed by medical personnel," said the Marines in a statement. "There was no civilian injury."

The aircraft, which cost more than $ 100 million, belonged to the 501 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron, which trains naval pilots in the fight against the F-35.

In the past, the F-35 jet aircraft had made emergency landings, had had in-flight incidents, including oxygen depletion among crews, and engine and engine fires. other ground faults. But this is the first time the army has crashed an F-35 involving the ejection of a pilot.

A US military official, on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said the Marine Corps initially classified the crash as a Class A incident, defined as an incident resulting in the complete destruction of the aircraft. million million aircraft in damages or in the event of death or total permanent disability of the crew.

The Pentagon's agreement with Lockheed Martin on 141 fighter jets is the result of a lingering controversy over an arms program that has become the most expensive ever undertaken by the Defense Department.

The most common variant of the joint combat aircraft, known as the F-35A, fell for the first time below $ 90 million per unit, to $ 89 million, a drop of 5.4% compared to the previous one. The unit price of the Marine Corps and Navy versions has been reduced to $ 115 million and $ 108 million, respectively.

President Trump has pushed Lockheed Martin to cut costs and take credit for hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, although the unit price of the F-35s is down.

The Pentagon attributed an increase in aviation accidents to various causes, including years of Congressional funding, aging equipment, overcrowded maintenance crews, and reduced flying hours for pilots.

An investigation by the Military Times earlier this year found that Marine Corps aviation accidents had jumped 80% over the last five years, an increase going along with similar trends in the Navy and the United States. l & # 39; aviation.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis promised to solve the problems by using additional funds that the Pentagon has received in the next $ 716 billion defense budget. However, US military officials have warned that the incidents are the result of a series of problems that will take time to resolve.

On Friday, the Marines said they were working with the South Carolina authorities to secure the crash site and ensure the safety of all staff in the surrounding area. The service did not provide any details about the driver or what happened before the crash.