A US F-15C Eagle stationed at Japan’s Kadena Air Force Base crashed off the coast of Okinawa on Monday morning, military.com reports, representing the latest in a string of aircraft accidents.
According to the report, Class A mishaps – those involving a fatality, US$2 million or more in damages, or a complete loss of aircraft – have increased nearly 50% so far in 2018 over the previous year.
The lone pilot involved in Monday’s accident “successfully ejected,” officials said in a release. “Search and rescue crews responded and successfully recovered the pilot,” it said. The Air Force has launched an investigation.
Significant maintenance issues regarding F-15s have been on the radar in the US, forcing a portion of the Air National Guard’s fleet to be grounded in March.
The US has reportedly lost six aircraft since the beginning of the year in non-combat training accidents, including several fatalities.
The incident was the second crash involving a US-made aircraft in the region in the span of one week. Last Monday, a Taiwanese pilot perished when his F-16 fighter crashed in the mountains of Taiwan at the start of annual live-fire drills.
Before: Made in China
Now: Made in USA
Reliability is also switching.
Another sponsored post.. ????
Maybe …the jet fighters …just like most of the products sold in the US that are TAG as made in USA …but are actually made in China..hehehe