U.S.-made F-35s grounded in South Korea after malfunction forces fighter jet to make dramatic belly

[soryang]

U.S.-made F-35s grounded in South Korea after malfunction forces fighter jet to make dramatic belly landing
JANUARY 5, 2022 / 9:02 AM / AFP

South Korea has grounded its entire fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets, officials said Wednesday, pending a probe into a dramatic emergency landing. After the landing gear on a South Korean F-35A stopped working during a major systems malfunction, the pilot chose not to eject and instead landed the jet on its belly — walking away without any injuries.

The heart-stopping incident Tuesday, at an air force base in the west of the country, has prompted a probe during which South Korean F-35s will be grounded.

"With the investigation under way, the entire (F-35) fleet is suspended from flying," a defense ministry official told AFP.

more:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/f35-grounded-south-korea-malfunction-emergency-landing/

[ColinC]

1. Dump the fleet and cancel all orders.

The f35 is overpriced garbage.

[bluedigger]

2. They're building their own Flying Swiss Army Knife, anyways.

I'm sure that played no factor, though.

Seoul (CNN)South Korea unveiled its homegrown supersonic jet fighter on Friday, joining an exclusive club of military aviation giants and setting the stage for a $5.2 billion program it hopes will be a top export driver and jobs creator.

Once operational, the KF-21 jet is expected to be armed with a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles -- and possibly even air-launched cruise missiles.

The twin-engine fighters will come in single- and two-seat versions, depending on the missions to which they are tasked.

"A new era of independent defense has begun, and it's a historic milestone in the development of the [South Korean] aviation industry," President Moon Jae-in said at the rollout of the KF-21, nicknamed Boramae, or "young hawk trained for hunting," at the production plant of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang province.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/09/asia/south-korea-kf-21-fifth-generation-fighter-jet-intl-hnk/index.html

[ColinC]

3. I imagine it will be cheaper. I also suspect fewer crashes.