A US fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35, crashed in Alaska on January 28, 2025. The pilot ejected to safety, but the aircraft was badly damaged.
And it comes at a time when Elon Musk has criticized its outdated and inefficient design.
Musk has even called the F-35 program the “worst military value for money in history” and suggested that the funds spent on it would be better invested in drone technology.
In case you're not aware, as of recent data, a single F-35 unit costs around $80 million to $100 million depending on the specific variant (A, B, or C). The F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing) is generally considered the cheapest, while the F-35B (short takeoff and vertical landing) and F-35C (carrier-based) are more expensive.
And Musk's views have gained attention, especially since he has been appointed to advise the US government on optimizing federal spending. That's DOGE (Department for Government Efficiency).
The accident occurred on the runway at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, which was selected in 2016 to accommodate fifty-four F-35s. An expansion costing more than $500 million was carried out to host the aircraft. With its capability to fly more than 12 hours at a time, the F-35 can reach almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in one mission.
Since the F-35 started flying nearly two decades ago, there have been 31 aircraft crashes. Meaning, 1.5 crashes per year on average.
On May 29, 2024, an F-35 Lightning II jet crashed near an airfield in Albuquerque, New Mexico, close to the southern US state's main international airport. The warplane crashed after departing from runway 21 in the vicinity of the airport, with the pilot ejecting from the aircraft. The pilot was subsequently hospitalized with serious injuries.
On September 17, 2023, a Marine Corps F-35 crashed in South Carolina after the pilot ejected. The aircraft kept flying for about 11 minutes after the pilot’s ejection because of the jet’s autonomous flight-control systems.
The Marine Corps investigation attributed the crash to a pilot error but informed that an “electrical event” caused multiple system failures – including both radios, the transponder, the tactical air navigation system, and the instrument landing system. The helmet-mounted display – the pilot’s primary display system – and the panoramic cockpit display were not operational at least three times, the investigation said, which caused the pilot to become disoriented during the heavy rainstorm. And due to the aircraft’s stealth coating, it was only located 30 hours after the crash.
On October 19, 2022, an F-35 fighter jet went down during its final approach maneuver to land at the Hill Air Force Base in the US state of Utah. The pilot ejected and survived the crash with minor injuries, while the jet was completely destroyed. An accident investigation board determined that the aircraft lost control just before landing because of errors in the air data system.
And on January 24, 2022, an F-35 fighter jet had an accident while landing on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. The pilot ejected safely, but the aircraft hit the edge of the ship's deck, slid along its entire length, and then plunged into the sea. Seven sailors sustained injuries in the accident, which the then-commander of the US 7th Fleet Vice Admiral Karl Thomas said was "the result of pilot error".
FYI, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, developed by Lockheed Martin, is the Department of Defense’s most expensive and ambitious weapons program. Despite being praised for being critical to US national security, the program has been continuously criticized for its excessive expenses and delays.
Already, in 2024, a declassified Pentagon report revealed the program’s flaws. It said: “The overall reliability, maintainability, and availability of the US fleet remains below service expectations”. However, Lockheed Martin responded that the F-35 “consistently meets or exceeds the reliability performance requirements we are contracted to deliver” as “almost 90% of F-35 components are performing better than required”.
And to think that in future war scenarios, the aircraft is expected to go up against China’s 5th-generation fighter jets. Admitted the report: “In only one trial was a 5th Generation adversary aircraft used”.
According to a US Government Accountability Office report released in April last year, the costs “to sustain the F-35 fleet keep increasing – from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion in 2023”.
Therefore, the US Department of Defense “plan to fly the F-35 less than originally estimated, partly because of reliability issues with the aircraft”. They added: “The F-35's ability to perform its mission has also trended downward over the past 5 years”.
Notwithstanding the denunciation of the F-35, the F-35 Joint Program Office defiantly defended the F-35 as a solid performer that has been adopted by 20 countries and is appreciated by pilots.
“Pilots continually emphasize that this is the fighter they want to take to war if called upon”, the spokesperson insisted. “The air system’s international footprint amplifies the platform’s benefits, and it is the aircraft of choice for partners and allies”.
I say, let the Americans be. Let them believe the F-35 is a superior fighter jet. πππ
