F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes In Alaska

A US Air Force F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Alaskaโ€™s Eielson Air Force Base on Tuesday, but the pilot ejected safely, as per base officials.

U.S. Air Force Colonel Paul Towsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, stated in a news conference that the pilot encountered an โ€œin-flight malfunctionโ€ but was able to eject safely.

The crash occurred while landing during a training exercise, as per the report. In a statement, Eielson Air Force Base said that the incident on Tuesday afternoon resulted in โ€œsignificant damageโ€ to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

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However, according to the statement, the pilot was safe and taken to Bassett Army Hospital.

โ€œI can assure you the United States Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation in hopes to minimise the chances of such occurrences from happening again,โ€ Townsend said in the statement.

As the most expensive U.S. defence initiative, the F-35 serves as Lockheed Martinโ€™s primary revenue driver, contributing around 30% of its bottom line.

Earlier, Lockheed said it would be less profitable than expected in 2025, in part because of a delayed rollout of upgrades to the F-35.

The Pentagon plans to spend $1.7 trillion on the F-35 programme, including buying 2,500 planes in the coming decades.

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