US military officials are searching for a missing F-35 jet after a “mishap” caused its pilot to eject and the fighter plane to subsequently go missing.
Joint Base Charleston, a major air base located in South Carolina, said on Facebook that the aircraft was a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II belonging to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, 110km south of Charleston, reports Fox News.
Each F-35 costs around $155 million.
The pilot ejected safely and was transported to a local medical centre – but the plane is nowhere to be found.
The base is working with Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to help locate the missing aircraft. Emergency response teams have been deployed to find the jet.
“Based on the jet’s last-known position and in co-ordination with the Federal Aviation Authority, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion,” Joint Base Charleston said in a statement on Facebook.
“The public is asked to co-operate with military and civilian authorities as the effort continues,” the base added.
Hampering the search is the large amount of sparsely populated swamp and marsh land in South Carolina.
The aircraft plays a key role to both achieve dominance in air space and to perform strikes. It is used by many countries globally, including the Royal Australian Air Force.
Taking to Twitter, now known as X, US congresswoman Nancy Mace asked: “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?”
The Marine Corps told the BBC that its information on the incident was “limited” and “under investigation”.
A second F-35 flying at the same time, returned safely to the base in Charleston.
Originally published as F-35 jet reported missing by authorities after pilot ejects during ‘mishap’: Officials
