Defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin bills its F-35 fighter jets as “force multipliers,” but the aircraft has been involved in one boondoggle after another ever since the Pentagon awarded the military contract to the manufacturer.
Debris was located approximately two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston on the evening of Sept 18, which means the jet had been missing for a day and a half.
United States Marine Corps. Captain Joe Leitner described the situation as a mishap, telling NBC News, “The mishap is currently under investigation.”
While the pilot was located and treated for his injuries at an area hospital, Lockheed Martin’s crown jewel prompted a collaborative effort between the Marines, Navy, the FAA, the Civil Air Patrol, and local law enforcement in Charleston, but whatever circumstances created this situation was not made clear to the public. Authorities also believe that the craft could have remained in the air for an unspecified amount of time after the pilot ejected.
This prompted a Republican Representative from South Carolina, Nancy Mace, to pointedly ask on Twitter/X, “How in the hell do you lose an F-35?” Mace continued. “How is there not a tracking device, and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?
Now that I got that out of the way. How in the hell do you lose an F-35?
How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?
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Source: Black Enterprise
