A US fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35, crashed in Alaska on January 28th. The pilot ejected to safety, but the aircraft was badly damaged. This is the third crash of the F-35 within a year, and it comes at a time when Elon Musk has criticized its outdated and inefficient design.
Musk has even called the F-35 program the “worst military value for money in history” and suggested that the funds spent on it would be better invested in drone technology. His views have gained attention, especially since he has been appointed to advise the US government on optimizing federal spending.
The accident occurred on the runway at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Eielson spokesperson Staff Sgt. Kimberly Touchet said: “It’s still under investigation, so they’re trying to confirm all the details.”
Later in a press conference, Col. Paul Townsend, 354th Fighter Wing Commander, said that the pilot was in the process of landing during a training exercise when his jet suffered an “inflight malfunction,” forcing him to eject. He said the pilot was executing normal, standard procedures when the crash occurred.
The incident occurred at about 12:49 pm, causing significant damage to the aircraft. “The pilot is safe and has been transported to Bassett Army Hospital for further evaluation,” a USAF statement said.
A crash video of the aircraft shows the F-35 spinning and falling vertically towards the ground. The pilot, who had ejected by the time, can be seen descending in parachute, watching his plane plunge past him – just meters away. As the aircraft hit the ground, it exploded.
Eielson was selected in 2016 to host 54 F-35s. An expansion costing more than 500 million dollars was carried out to host the aircraft. With its capability to fly more than 12 hours at a time, the F-35 can reach almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in one mission.
Since the F-35 started flying nearly two decades ago, there have been 31 aircraft crashes. Earlier in May 2024, an F-35 crashed in New Mexico after a refueling stop, seriously injuring the pilot.
In September 2023, a Marine Corps F-35 crashed in South Carolina after the pilot ejected. The aircraft kept flying for about 11 minutes after the pilot’s ejection because of the jet’s autonomous flight-control systems.
The Marine Corps investigation attributed the crash to a pilot error but said an “electrical event” caused multiple system failures—including both radios, the transponder, the tactical air navigation system, and the instrument landing system. The helmet-mounted display—the pilot’s primary display system—and the panoramic cockpit display were not operational at least three times, the investigation said, which caused the pilot to become disoriented during the heavy rainstorm.
Due to the aircraft’s stealth coating, it was located 30 hours after the crash.
F-35 – The Most Expensive Defense Project In The US
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, developed by Lockheed Martin, is the Department of Defense’s most expensive and ambitious weapons program. Despite being praised for being critical to US national security, the program has been continuously criticized for its excessive expenses and delays. The program is the most expensive military endeavor in history, with the US Government Accountability Office estimating that its lifetime cost will exceed US$2 trillion.
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In 2024, a declassified Pentagon report revealed the program’s flaws. It said: “The overall reliability, maintainability, and availability of the US fleet remains below service expectations.” Lockheed Martin responded that the F-35 “consistently meets or exceeds the reliability performance requirements we are contracted to deliver” as “almost 90% of F-35 components are performing better than required.”
The Pentagon report read that the F-35 “takes at least twice as long to repair as required” compared to its formal requirements in part because the “poor failure rate of critical parts was a significant contributor to low availability” for missions and “the critical failures are relatively evenly spread out among many different components.”
Details on the F-35’s ability to withstand cyber-attacks on its 24 most sensitive systems were redacted. However, an unredacted portion said, “The knowledge of actual aircraft vulnerability is limited.” They urged the program office to provide a jet “that allows for full, end-to-end testing in a representative cyber threat environment.”
In future war scenarios, the aircraft is expected to go up against China’s 5th-generation fighter jets. However, the report said: “In only one trial was a 5th Generation adversary aircraft used.”
Technocrat Elon Musk, recently appointed as the head of the newly created Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, has been very vocal in his criticism of F-35s.
In November 2024, the Tesla CEO sparked a debate when he said: “Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.” The comment was posted on X alongside a video showcasing synchronized Chinese drones in action.
While the role and powers of Musk’s new position in the Trump administration remain unclear, the F-35 Joint Program Office has defended the F-35 as a solid performer that has been adopted by 20 countries and is appreciated by pilots.
“Pilots continually emphasize that this is the fighter they want to take to war if called upon,” the spokesperson said. “The air system’s international footprint amplifies the platform’s benefits, and it is the aircraft of choice for partners and allies.”
