A U.S. Navy F-35 fighter jet took a nosedive on Wednesday morning near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California. Thankfully, the pilot managed to eject safely and is now in stable condition, with no other injuries reported. The Navy is still piecing together what led to the crash, and they haven’t yet shared what the jet was up to at the time. This incident marks the second F-35 crash this year, raising eyebrows about the aircraft’s safety. With each unit costing around $100 million, the F-35 has been involved in at least 12 crashes since 2018. The last crash happened in Alaska back in late January, according to data from Anadolu.

This latest crash has reignited discussions about the F-35 program’s hefty price tag and its performance issues. A U.S. government report highlighted by Times Now Digital points out that the aircraft is still not hitting crucial performance targets. The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation revealed that the F-35 fleet only met mission-readiness standards 51% of the time, falling short of the 65% goal originally set.

With these ongoing challenges, it’s clear that the F-35 program is under the microscope. As the Navy continues its investigation, many are watching closely to see how these issues will be addressed moving forward.

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Originally reported by AVweb Read More