An F-22 Raptor in 2007. Photo: Lockheed Martin
The Air Force admitted losing two of its 184 — make that 182 — frontline F-22 Raptor stealth fighters on Thursday. It was one of the worst days yet in what’s turning out to be a bad year for the pricey, radar-evading jet built by Lockheed Martin.
At 3:30 local time on Thursday an F-22, apparently belonging to the 325th Wing, a training unit based at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle, plunged into the ground in a wooded area inside the base perimeter near Highway 98, sparking a small fire.
The pilot ejected safely. “The cause of the crash is still under investigation and additional details will be provided as soon as they become available,” the flying branch said in a statement.
It is the first F-22 crash since a fatal incident in November 2010 which killed Capt Jeff Haney and led to a series of investigations and groundings related to fighters oxygen system.
The U.S. F-35, the Chinese J-20, and the Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA are at the top of the heap.
Much like the F-35 is being sold to American allies, the Russians’ T-50 will be offered to countries looking for an alternative to Lockheed Martin’s fifth generation fighter.