Nine News.
On the morning of January 31, local time, according to Yonhap News Agency, citing South Korean and military sources, a F-16 fighter jet belonging to the US military in South Korea crashed into the sea near Gunsanji Island in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea at about 8:40 a.m. that day.
It is reported that the fighter pilot escaped and was rescued before the plane crashed into the sea.
F-16 fighter data map. Source: CCTV News quoted Yonhap News Agency.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that a similar model has crashed in South Korea.
In May 2023, there was a crash of the U.S. military F-16 stationed in South Korea. According to Yonhap News Agency, on the morning of May 6, local time, an F-16 fighter jet of the 8th Combat Flight Regiment of the US Army stationed in South Korea crashed into farmland near Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and caused a fire.
The crash site was located in a farmland, the fuselage was almost completely burned, the pilot escaped safely, and the accident caused no casualties**.
* Screenshots. In September 2023, another KF-16 fighter plane crashed in South Korea. Xinhua News Agency said on September 21 that a KF-16 fighter jet of the South Korean Air Force crashed on the 21st, and the pilot ejected and escaped.
Yonhap News Agency, citing South Korean Air Force sources, reported that the fighter belonged to the 20th Combat Flying Regiment and was based in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, about 120 kilometers from Seoul. At around 8:20 a.m. that day, the fighter plane crashed during takeoff, and the pilot ejected and escaped. The warplane crashed into the base, causing no civilians**.
The KF-16 fighter is a South Korean version produced and assembled by South Korea after introducing the American F-16 fighter production line in the 90s of the last century, and is the main fighter of the South Korean Air Force.
South Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter. Source: Visual China.
According to CCTV Military, citing Yonhap News Agency, on December 11, 2023, a US F-16 fighter plane crashed during a military exercise in South Korea.
According to sources, on the morning of the 11th, near the Gunsan Air Base of the US military stationed in South Korea, an F-16 fighter of the US military stationed in South Korea fell during training, and the pilot escaped urgently.
F-16 fighter profile.
The F-16 fighter (F-16 Fighter) is a jet multirole fighter of the United States Air Force.
The F-16 fighter is a single-seat, single-engine fighter and is a third-generation or third-and-a-half-generation fighter of the United States. The fighter is the first fighter in the United States capable of 9G overload maneuvering, and it is also one of the first fighters in the United States to adopt fly-by-wire flight control and ergonomic cockpit. In addition, the design refers to the "energy maneuver theory", and has the performance characteristics of high thrust-to-weight ratio and low wing load. It has the ability to fight at night and launch air-to-ground missiles, anti-ship missiles and other counter-strike capabilities, making it a multi-role fighter.
In the 70s of the last century, the F-16 completed its finalization and first flight and began to enter service with the US Air Force. From the beginning of the Bekaa Valley air battle in 1981 to the present, the F-16 has participated in almost every major war, and its performance has been tested in real combat. Due to its good performance, it was favored by dozens of countries, and orders once flowed.
F-16 fighter data map. Source: vcg
On January 24, 2024, Reuters reported that Biden sent a letter to the leaders of several important committees of the U.S. Congress on the 24th, saying that once Turkey completes the process of approving Sweden's accession to NATO, he will officially notify Congress to Turkey's F-16 fighter jets.
On the 26th local time, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that it approved the F-16 fighter jets of Lockheed Martin worth $20 billion to Turkey.
*: Comprehensive CCTV news client, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV military, public information, etc.