The F-35 undergoes its first crash in 17 years of existence

Paul Sonne | Washington Post

The US military suffered its first F-35 crash in the 17-year history of the fighter jet program the same day the Pentagon announced an agreement with the Lockheed Martin defense company had a historic low.

The crash of the F-35 variant, known as the F-35B Lightning II, took place Friday at 11:45 am in front of the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Base in South Carolina, according to the Marine Corps. The agency did not give the alleged cause of the accident, claiming that the incident was still 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 501 Maritime Fighter Attack Training Squadron, which trains marine pilots in combat with 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. aircraft million dollars in damage or death or permanent total 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.

A Military Times investigation earlier this year found that Marine Corps aviation incidents had jumped 80% in the last five years, an increase that was in addition to similar trends in the Navy and the United States. the Air Force.

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. Yet US military officials have warned that the incidents are the result of a series of problems that will take time to resolve.