Not Detected by Radar... Whereabouts Unknown
"Why No Tracking Device?"... Criticism from US Political Circles
The latest stealth fighter jet of the United States, the F-35B, crashed during a flight over the U.S. mainland, resulting in the aircraft going missing. The U.S. military has been searching for the wreckage for two days, sparking controversy both inside and outside the U.S. political sphere. The military explained that the aircraft's stealth capabilities make it difficult to detect by radar, but criticism has poured in over the fact that such a strategic weapon, costing over 100 billion Korean won per unit, was not even properly equipped with tracking devices.
According to AFP on the 18th (local time), the F-35B fighter jet crashed due to a mechanical failure while flying near the Charleston base in South Carolina the previous afternoon. The pilot ejected before the crash, but the aircraft, which was on autopilot, continued flying and then crashed, with no wreckage found so far. The U.S. military has been conducting searches in the surrounding area for two days but has yet to locate the aircraft.
The Charleston base stated, "Based on the last known location, search operations are being concentrated around two large lakes north of Charleston." It is presumed that the aircraft crashed into a lake and sank underwater, making it difficult to find.
In particular, the F-35B fighter jet's superior stealth capabilities make it undetectable by radar, which is reportedly making it even more difficult to track the flight path of the missing aircraft. The Charleston base is conducting local inquiries and searches, requesting residents via social media to provide any information related to the whereabouts of the missing fighter jet.
Criticism toward the U.S. military quickly arose in the political arena. It is considered absurd that a cutting-edge strategic weapon, costing approximately $80 million (about 106 billion Korean won) per unit, could go missing entirely. Republican Representative Nancy Mace pointed out, "How can you lose an entire F-35?" and "How is it possible that there was no tracking device?"
Meanwhile, the missing F-35B fighter jet is a fifth-generation stealth fighter manufactured by Lockheed Martin, equipped with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities among the F-35 series. Its maximum speed is Mach 1.6, with a maximum range radius of 1,660 km and a combat radius of up to 830 km.
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