One of the shocking incidents is that the US F35 stealth fighter accidentally lost an important component while flying over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the loss of its stealth capability. An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet from the 35th Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force landed at Kadena Air Base in Japan on the morning of Monday, December 18, according to the Greek Pentapostagma** December 20**. During a visual inspection of the aircraft, the crew was surprised to find that a vital stealth component was missing from the aircraft. This F-35A "Lightning II" fighter is designed and produced by Lockheed Martin of the United States, which is a single-seat, single-engine multi-purpose fighter, and belongs to the first fighter jet, with a combat radius of more than 1,000 kilometers, which can perform a variety of tasks such as near-air support, target bombing, and air defense interception.
Currently, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, British Royal Air Force, British Royal Navy, Canadian Forces, and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are equipped with such fighters. According to a spokesman for the wing at Kadena Air Base, the F35 stealth fighter lost a hexagonal side panel measuring about 18x12 inches and weighing about 1 kilogram during an accident over the Pacific Ocean. The absence of this component will lead to the loss of low observability of the aircraft, that is, its stealth capabilities will be lost, making it easier to become a target for enemy air defense systems. A representative of the U.S. Air Force said the fighter may have lost the panel while flying over the Pacific Ocean, "presumably falling into the Pacific Ocean."
It is worth noting that in the last month or two, there have been a number of accidents in the US military. On December 12, the 15th Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit was training at a base in California when a tactical vehicle overturned, killing and injuring 15 Marines. During a military Xi with South Korean forces, on December 11, a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet suddenly malfunctioned and crashed into the Yellow Sea. These accidents have attracted widespread attention, and the relevant departments of the US Air Force have launched a comprehensive investigation. A major accident occurred on the US side recently. According to reports, on November 29, a CV-22 "Osprey" transport plane crashed near Kagoshima, Japan, killing all eight people on board. The incident is a cause for concern, as similar problems occurred over the Pacific Ocean in 2017.
At that time, an F-35 fighter jet lost a panel similar to this accident while flying over the Pacific Ocean, 65 kilometers off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.