While other Austrian online media are still reporting on the discovery of the F-35 fighter jet, eXXpress can already report: the plane has been found – a field of debris has been there for two hours Discovered northeast of Joint Base Charleston.
“Charleston Air Force Base leadership, which led the search, is turning over operational command to the U.S. Marines today as they begin the recovery process,” the Marine Corps wrote in a news release.
Residents were asked to stay away from the crash area so that rescue teams could secure the debris area and begin rescue operations.
On Sunday — eXXpress reported — the pilot ejected safely after an “accident” with the jet’s ejection seat and was taken to a local medical facility “in stable condition,” Joint Base Charleston said in a Facebook post. Said.
“The incident is still under investigation and we are unable to release additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process,” the Marines said in a statement Monday.
The plane’s last known location was near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, two large bodies of water northwest of downtown Charleston, according to Joint Base Charleston, which asked for the public’s help in finding the plane.
The F-35 fighter jet is a sought-after jet across the world. According to its own information, manufacturer Lockheed Martin will deliver 624 jets between 2027 and 2030, including 36 for the Swiss Air Force.
Switzerland paid 167 million euros per unit – and thus demonstrated better negotiation skills than the German Defense Ministry: the unit was priced at 286 million euros for an almost identical package.
In the United States, an F-35 jet is said to cost “only” 80 million euros, half of what the plane would cost to Switzerland.
Lockheed plans to produce about 150 F-35 jets per year. It will now be necessary to explain how an “accident” could lead to the loss of a fighter aircraft amounting to between 80 and 167 million euros.
