Missing F-35 found in South Carolina

A debris field has been identified as the remains of an F-35 fighter jet that went missing Sunday north of Charleston, S.C., officials said.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, personnel from Joint Base Charleston say the debris field was discovered roughly two hours northeast of the base.

JB Charleston said in its statement that it is "transferring incident command" to the Marine Corps, as they will begin the recovery process.

The incident is currently under investigation, so officials say they are unable to provide any additional details while the investigation is underway. Those in the community have been cautioned to avoid the area.

A Marine Corps spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday "we are currently still gathering more information and assessing the situation. The mishap will be under investigation."

"We are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process," officials said in the statement on Monday.

"We would like to thank all of our mission partners, as well as local, county, and state authorities, for their dedication and support throughout the search and as we transition to the recovery phase," the officials said.

The news of the disappearance prompted some disbelief from lawmakers. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who represents the area in Congress, said said she felt “frustrated” by the Marine Corps’ response.

“Our community deserves basic, minimum answers,” Mace said in an interview with a local news outlet in South Carolina. “Mistakes happen and it’s a matter of taking responsibility, ensuring trust in the process, trust in operations, trust that the community’s going to be kept as safe as possible even when there’s a jet missing.”

The F-35 is what’s known as a “stealth” fighter, which means it is supposed to be able to avoid detection by enemies. Maybe a little too stealth.

But if you watch the glossy Lockheed Martin video at F35.com, the jet is also supposed to be able to communicate with rest of the military, “sharing its operational picture with the ground, sea and air assets.” The video shows the jet beaming information to the ground and satellites.

The New York Times’ editorial board used the word “boondoggle” to describe the F-35 program in 2021. But it added that the US is essentially stuck with the program.

If the lost F-35′s cross-section had not been augmented to mask its true radar signature and make it more visible, Carlisle said, that might explain why it has been so hard to find.

 Sarah H

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