A $100 million U.S. military F-35B stealth fighter jet went missing Sunday afternoon in South Carolina, prompting authorities to appeal for public help in its recovery. The pilot, currently unidentified, was safely ejected from the plane and is now recovering in a hospital.
After the ejection, the jet was left on autopilot, which implies that it could have remained in the air for an undetermined period. Search efforts are currently focused around Lakes Moultrie and Marion, north of Charleston, according to the plane’s last reported position.
South Carolina Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace took to Twitter’s successor, X, expressing her disbelief over the missing plane. She raised the question, “How come there’s no tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it over?”
Given its stealth capabilities, the F-35B is designed to remain undetectable by enemy radars.
In an online post, Joint Base Charleston announced the ongoing search, asking for the public’s cooperation and for anyone with possible leads to get in touch.
Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, shared images of several aircraft actively searching the area. In a statement, the Marine Corps acknowledged limited knowledge about the matter, promising a thorough investigation.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35B, confirmed the plane’s price tag of $100 million to the BBC. Meanwhile, another F-35B, flying simultaneously, returned safely to its base. Notably, in 2018, a similar incident led to the temporary grounding of the entire US F-35 fleet.
This article is sourced from and written by AI.
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