On August 11, the British stealth fighter F-35B departing from the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier made an emergency landing at Kagoshima International Airport, Japan, due to a technical problem.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense said the plane was thoroughly inspected before it could return to operation, but did not disclose details of the incident. Media images show that the plane shows no signs of damage outside.
The F-35B with registration number 016 was moved to the taxiway for inspection, causing the Kagoshima airport runway to close for about 20 minutes. This is not the F-35B that crashed in India 2 months ago.
At the time, another F-35B of HMS Prince of Wales had to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, India, due to near fuel shortage during a drill in the Indian Ocean. The problem related to the hydraulic system caused the plane to stay at the airport for more than a month for repair.
The F-35B is a variation developed for the US Navy, with short-range takeoff and vertical takeoff (STOVL) capabilities, suitable for small runways than conventional aircraft carrier aircraft. However, the bulky STOVL system reduces range and mobility compared to the F-35A and F-35C variants.
According to statistics by November 2023, at least 16 F-35B fighters of the US and its allies had accidents, many of which were completely destroyed. He initially planned to buy 150 F-35Bs, then reduced them to 138 units. The British Air Force has currently received 39 aircraft, including one that crashed in the Mediterranean in 2021 due to the suction engine having a plastic rain cover, leading to loss of thrust when takeoff.
