Following the pilot’s ejection from the F-35, the US military has appealed for help in locating the missing aircraft.
On Sunday afternoon, the pilot of the fighter jet apparently vanished while flying over the southern state of South Carolina.
The pilot, who has not been named, successfully parachuted out. According to BBC, he is in a stable condition in the hospital.
Joint Base Charleston, a US military base, posted the appeal on its verified X account.
They stated, “We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC (Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort) to find an F-35 that was involved in an accident this afternoon. The pilot successfully escaped from the aircraft. Call the Base Defence Operations Centre at 843-963-3600 if you have any information that could aid our recovery teams in finding the F-35.
The statement claims that based on the jet’s last-known location, the search is concentrated north of JB Charleston, between Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. Federal aviation authorities are assisting with the search.
According to reports, the F-35 is one of the biggest and most expensive weapons programmes of its kind in the world.
