Image source: topwar.ru
Seoul bought a total of 40 F-35A fighters from Washington, which cost the budget $6.8 billion. The entire ordered batch was transferred in 2019-2022. However, the high level of accidents accompanying the operation of American aircraft has led to the fact that one of them has already been written off.
We are talking about a car that landed "on its belly" at Sosan Airbase on January 4, 2022. At the same time, the runway was covered with special fire foam to reduce the friction of the hull. As stated in the results of the investigation, the incident was caused by a collision with a bird, as a result of which the electronic systems of the F-35A failed, in particular, without giving the pilot the opportunity to release the landing gear. This was the first known incident that occurred with the F-35A from foreign users of the fighter.
Initially, officials stated that "minimal damage was caused to the aircraft." However, in the end, the country's Air Force decided to write off the affected car.
- says the local edition of Defense Times.
According to Shin Won Sin, a member of the defense committee of the country's parliament, in the period from January 2021 to June 2022, 234 malfunctions occurred with the F-35 fleet of 40 vehicles that prevented departure (serious G-NORS incidents) and 62 cases of "failure to fulfill a specific mission" (F-NORS). The main reason for the low efficiency of the fighter is the lack of spare parts.
- the politician noted.
It is possible that Seoul has no special illusions about the longevity of the F-35 service. At least in March, the procedure for purchasing an additional 20 machines of this type for $2.85 billion with delivery until 2028 was officially launched, although it was originally planned to purchase F-35B modification aircraft with the possibility of vertical takeoff under the first option.
