You would think the landing gear would be a bit more robust to withstand a bird strike:
A collision with an eagle caused a South Korean F-35A Lightning II fighter to crash last year, and talks are underway with the manufacturer over scrapping or repairing the stealth aircraft, the South Korean air force said Tuesday.
An investigation determined the bird struck the F-35A’s landing gear, which failed, forcing the pilot to make an emergency belly landing Jan. 4, 2022, at a South Korean air force base in Seosan, about 50 miles southwest of Seoul, according to an air force email Tuesday.
The pilot exited the plane without serious injuries, according to the air force.
South Korea’s air force and Lockheed Martin, the F-35 manufacturer, assessed the damaged aircraft to determine whether repairs would prove too costly or compromise the fighter’s safe operation.
U.S. F-35A fighter from Alaska An F-35A stealth fighter from the U.S. Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska lands at an unknown air base in South Korea on July 5, 2022, for a joint drill with the South Korean Air Force, in this photo provided by the U.S. Forces Korea. (Yonhap)
F-35A’s emergency landing This file photo, taken on Oct. 18, 2021, at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2021 at Seoul Air Base, east of Seoul, shows an F-35A stealth fighter. An F-35A fighter operated by South Korea’s Air Force made an emergency belly landing while training on a runway at an air base in Seosan, 151 kilometers south of Seoul, at 12:51 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2022, due to a malfunction in the landing gear. Its pilot emerged unscathed. (Yonhap)
S. Korea receives stealth fighter jets from U.S.A U.S. F-35A stealth fighter jet arrives at an air base in Cheongju, 140 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 29, 2019. It is one of a pair of the jets that South Korea received on the day, part of the 40 that South Korea agreed to buy in a 2014 contract. (Yonhap)
My rule of thumb is that anything the Kim regime is against must be a good thing for South Korea or the US. In this case the acquisition of the F-35A by the ROK military must be good thing considering the reaction:
North Korea blasted the South Korean military on Sunday for acting against the conciliatory mood developing on the Korean Peninsula, saying that the South is engaging in military maneuvers against Pyongyang.
The North criticized South Korea’s decision to deploy F-35A stealth jets and moves to buy more long-range air-to-ground missiles as part of a bid to strengthen weapons systems.
The military is scheduled to formally unveil the first F-35A stealth fighter aircraft for its military in a rollout ceremony this week. Seoul’s arms agency said it signed in February a purchase deal for 90 more Taurus bunker-buster missiles.
“(Such announcements) are open provocations against the negotiating party and a dangerous move that runs counter to the current mood for reconciliation and unity that the two Koreas had not witnessed in a long time,” said a commentary carried by the North’s ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun. [Yonhap]
Another example of a concession made to North Korea without the Kim regime even asking:
The military is toning down a handover ceremony for a batch of new F-35A state-of-the-art fighters from the U.S. as an inter-Korean summit looms. The jets, which cost W7.3 trillion, are intended to counter the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea (US$1=W1,067).
The event will be held at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas on March 28. Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Wang-keun and Jeon Jei-guk, the chief of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, both abruptly canceled plans to attend.
“Neither can attend the ceremony,” a military spokesman said. “Lee must stay in the country to maintain military preparedness while [President Moon Jae-in] is on an overseas trip, and Jeon will accompany the president.” [Chosun Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but you would at least think the ROK government would be honest and just say no one is attending in order to not upset North Korea instead of the cover story they are using.
By the way Seoul has bought 40 of the F-35A’s at a cost of 120 billion won a piece.
Here is another example of strategic assets being used as a show of force towards North Korea:
The United States is planning to send six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to a joint air force exercise in South Korea next month in what is believed to be U.S. action to put maximum pressure on North Korea, military officials here said on Thursday.
“Six F-22 fighters from the U.S. Air Force are scheduled to join the joint South Korea-U.S. air force exercise Vigilant Ace from Dec. 4-8,” the officials said.
The fighters will fly to the Korean Peninsula from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and stay at an air base in South Korea throughout the exercise, according to officials. Up to four F-35A Lightning stealth fighters are also likely to join the deployment, they said. [Yonhap]
