F-35 "Zombie Drama" Ends, Trigger of Pilot's Action Still a Mystery
The super-sophisticated F-35B Lightning II aircraft which had "fled like a zombie" after being abandoned by its pilot has finally been found. However, the cause of the accident is still mysterious.
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The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in ”Drama Zombi” Pesawat F-35 Berakhir, Pemicu Aksi Pilot Masih Misteri
The F-35B Lightning II aircraft belonging to the United States Marine Corps has participated in an air show at the Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore during the Singapore Airshow 2022 on February 15, 2022.
The drama surrounding the disappearance of the stealth F-35B Lightning II fighter jet has come to an end. However, the cause of the accident is still mysterious. There has been no official statement from the United States military on why the pilot ejected from the aircraft or what technical issues caused it. Please note that PBB, PKS, and PPP were not present in this article and therefore do not need to be left untranslated.
The wreckage of the high-tech aircraft was finally found in the rural area of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, United States on Monday (18/9/2023). The day before, the US military at Joint Base Charleston asked for help from the community through the social media platform X - previously known as Twitter - to search for the stealth aircraft.
Also read: Competition between Rafale, F-35 and Sukhoi-57 in the Middle East Skies
"If you know or have any information that can assist the search team, please immediately contact the Base Defense Operations Center," reads the announcement from the US military on Sunday (17/9/2023).
The request to join the search has instead sparked disbelief in the online world, even becoming the subject of jokes. Many netizens have also uploaded manipulated photos in the form of missing announcements on trees and promises of rewards for those who succeed in finding them.
”How in the hell could you lose an F-35? How come we don't have a plane tracking device? So, now we ask the public to come look for him?" wrote Nancy Mace, a member of the US Congress representing the Charleston area, on social media X.
From preliminary information obtained, the F-35 pilot ejected for reasons unknown and safely parachuted in the North Charleston area. The aircraft and pilot are part of the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing based in Beaufort, near the South Carolina coastline.
In the photo from the Ministry of Defense of South Korea, a B-1B bomber aircraft of the US Air Force (center), F-22 fighter jet, and F-35 fighter jet belonging to the South Korean Air Force (bottom) can be seen flying in the Korean Peninsula during joint air exercises in South Korea on January 1, 2023.
After being abandoned by its pilot, the aircraft then flew itself or was in a state commonly referred to as "flying on zombie mode".
Flying alone in a zombie-like state was also experienced by a Soviet MiG-23 aircraft that was abandoned by its pilot due to technical damage. The plane continued to fly on its own until it crashed in Kortrijk, Belgium, or approximately 900 kilometers after being left by its pilot.
Also read: Because of aircraft tail bolts, hundreds of US Air Force planes are prohibited from flying
The F-35 crash in the US is not the first time such an incident has occurred with that type of aircraft. At least seven F-35s have been reported to have crashed due to various reasons. According to an announcement from the US Marine Corps, this is the third incident documented as a "Class A accident" in the past six weeks.
"The current accident is still under investigation. We cannot provide any additional information to maintain the integrity of the investigation process," said the Marine Corps in their press release. What is clear is that the mentioned commanders will strengthen policies, practices, and safe flight procedures for their marines."
Worth IDR 1.2 trillion
According to the US aircraft manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, the advanced aircraft, which costs around 80 million US dollars or Rp 1.2 trillion, is almost impossible to detect with radar and is equipped with advanced sensors and other equipment. "The aircraft is the deadliest, most durable, and most connected fighter jet in the world," said Lockheed Martin.
And it may also now be the most difficult aircraft to find.
The US Air Force's F-35 fighter jet is on display at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France on June 19, 2023.
The missing aircraft is the F-35B series, a variation operated by the US Marines. The aircraft has the ability of short takeoff and vertical landing like a helicopter. Its body, including two angled stabilizers at the back, and special materials used, make it harder to detect by traditional radar.
Also read: Can't wait for the complexity of ordering F-35s from the US, UAE buys 80 Rafales from France
Joint Base Charleston (JBC) spokesman Jeremy Huggins told The Washington Post that the plane was very difficult to track because the plane's transponder was apparently not working. A transponder is a tool that usually helps find the location of an aircraft. Moreover, it's a stealth plane.
The jet aircraft is coveted by US allies around the world, such as Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and especially Ukraine. The aircraft is indeed built to protect it from radar detection.
The global F-35 fleet has now logged over 721,000 cumulative flight hours and has been deployed to 17 countries. Since the F-35's maiden flight 17 years ago, it has been reported that one pilot has died and fewer than 10 planes have been destroyed. Over 965 F-35s have been delivered, and over 430,000 missions or sorties have been successfully completed. Its first combat mission was carried out for the Marine Corps in Afghanistan in 2018.
The current accident is still under investigation. We cannot provide any further information to maintain the integrity of the investigation process.
Once the zombie F-35 debris was found at a location two hours away from the base, JBC made an announcement in X, "Community members should avoid the area as recovery teams are securing the debris."
Before the announcement from JBC, some search planes were seen on a flight tracking site, focusing on forest and agricultural areas. The search was then centered on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. Lake Marion is the largest lake in South Carolina with an area of 110,600 hectares.
Joke material
"Anyone who has information is asked to contact the Second Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Office at 252-466-3827." The announcement, disseminated to the public via X, garnered various serious comments and more comments in a joking tone, even funny memes.
"Perhaps the pilot left his phone inside the airplane? If so, we know the government can track its location," wrote a netizen on Facebook.
"The ability of the aircraft's stealth technology is working well!" wrote another Facebook netizen.
There is also a post on social media showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posing in front of an F-35 plane, implying that he took it.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Zelenskyy has frequently requested the US to supply advanced US fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force to benefit its military. The US is reportedly beginning to train Ukrainian pilots to use F-16 fighter jets.
Also read: Exercise in the South China Sea, F-35C experiences accident while landing on USS Carl Vinson
The most expensive project
Apart from the humorous and mocking comments, there were serious inquiries as to how so much money could be spent on creating an aircraft that does not function as intended. CNN reports that the F-35 aircraft is the most expensive defense project in the history of the United States.
The entire F-35 program is estimated to cost 1.7 trillion US dollars over the lifetime of the aircraft. It is said to be the most advanced fighter aircraft on earth today. This aircraft, specifically made for the US military, should be able to communicate with all military personnel because it is capable of emitting information directly to the ground and to satellites.
Director of Defense Capability and Management at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), Diana Maurer, stated that the F-35 project is actually delayed by about a decade from its original schedule, and its budget has exceeded the initial estimated cost, reaching 183 billion US dollars. Pilots who fly the F-35 are often impressed with its capabilities, but they complain that they cannot fly it frequently.
Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, delivered a speech in front of the F-35 fighter jet stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan, in February 2018.
"There are always issues with the F-35. From difficulties in obtaining spare parts, repairs, and a dependence on contractors which all contribute to the F-35's readiness being below standard, often resulting in it being grounded. This frustrates taxpayers as a significant budget of 1.7 trillion US dollars has already been spent on purchasing, operating, and maintaining it," said Maurer to CNN.
The case of the disappearance of the F-35, according to The New York Times, made the marines finally stop all operations for two days to discuss flight safety issues. Concerns about the possibility of hacker attacks have arisen again. This concern was raised at the Pentagon in 2019.
Also read: SU-75 Checkmate, a Russian fighter jet that has capabilities equivalent to the US F-35
A US General Accountability Office report four years ago warned that the plane's systems had loopholes that hackers could enter. The aircraft operates on Lockheed Martin's Autonomous Logistics Information System (ALIS). According to inspectors, the system could be compromised by malware that spoofs the system to secretly provide false information, causing the plane to crash or become unusable.
The aircraft's weaponry system was also mentioned to be vulnerable to relatively simple tools and techniques. POGO, a watchdog organization, released a report in 2019 showing that almost every software-based weapon system tested between 2012 and 2017 could be hacked, including the F-35.
"Despite years of repairs and upgrades, the F-35's crucial computer system that is used during battle continues to experience functional failures, including maintenance of the ALIS system," the report stated.
"Cybersecurity testing shows that many previously confirmed vulnerabilities in the F-35 have not been fixed, meaning that enemy hackers potentially could disable the ALIS network, steal classified data from within the network and computers, and potentially prevent F-35 attacks from taking off or completing their missions," the report stated.
