F-35A fighter jet faces retirement after hitting an eagle mid-flight

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F-35A fighter jet faces retirement after hitting an eagle mid-flight

Published: 01 Dec. 2023, 16:09

F-35A at Seoul Air Base during an exhibition. [YONAHP]

The Korean Air Force on Friday announced it has decided to scrap the F-35A fighter jet that had been damaged after hitting an eagle in January.

An evaluation board at the Korean Air Force said Friday it will retire the broken stealth fighter jet as the damage is far greater than expected.

According to the Korean Air Force, it would take four years to repair the damaged fighter jet and cost a minimum of 140 billion won ($107 million), significantly more than the 110 billion won it would cost to buy a new fighter jet.

The F-35A on Jan. 4 ran into an eagle at an altitude of roughly 330 meters (1,082 feet), not long after taking off from the Cheongju Air Base in North Chungcheong.

The eagle was sucked into the fighter jet’s left air intake, damaging the hydraulic duct and power supply wiring that are essential to the navigation system and landing gear operation.

The aircraft had to make an emergency belly landing at the Seosan Air Base in South Chungcheong.

A joint inspection on the fighter jet with the manufacturer Lockheed Martin found 300 areas of damage, including in the engine and navigation system.

The fighter jet will be retired once the Joint Chief of Staff and the Defense Ministry give the final approval.

However, the Korean Air Force said the retired fighter jet could later be put to use in maintenance training.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [[email protected]]