The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program grounded a number of the aircraft after a Dec. 15 incident in which a pilot was forced to eject from an F-35B at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.
The pilot was performing vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers when the aircraft spun out of control on the tarmac, forcing the pilot to eject successfully. The dramatic incident was captured on film and posted to social media.
The F-35B is able to take off and land vertically because of its vectored thrust system, but unlike the Harrier II vertical takeoff and landing jet that U.S. forces used in conflicts like Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Libya, the F-35B also can fly at supersonic speeds.
www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/12/29/joint-strike-fighter-grounded/3151672349521/