The American army is on the ground chasing an F-35 fighter jet who disappeared following an incident that forced the pilot to eject from the advanced stealth aircraft over South Carolina. Bloomberg News: Emergency response teams are trying to find what remains of the F-35B Lightning II jet, which suffered what the military called an “accident” Sunday afternoon, according to media posts social services at Joint Base Charleston, an air force base in South Carolina. The unidentified pilot ejected safely and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Joint Base Charleston called on the public to cooperate with military and civilian authorities as the search for the F-35 jet continues. The air base said it was working with Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to search for the plane north of North Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, based on its last known location.
Lockheed Martin is the manufacturer of the F-35, a single-seat fighter jet used by militaries around the world. The aircraft was a vertical takeoff version used by the United States Marine Corps, and the jet is popular for its stealth qualities that make it difficult to detect by radar. The F-35 program, the most expensive U.S. weapons program ever, is expected to cost $400 billion in development and acquisition, plus an additional $1.2 trillion to operate and maintain the fleet over more than 60 years. Each plane can cost more than $160 million, depending on the variant.
