Tuesday, May 14, 2019

A Bird Strike On An F-35B Fighter Caused $2 Million In Damages

Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 based in Iwakuni, Japan, fly in formation next to an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over Pacific waters. (Senior Airman John Linzmeier/Air Force)

Business Insider: A bird beat up a Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter, causing at least $2 million in damages

* A Marine Corps F-35B suffered serious damages after a bird strike in Japan, according to Marine Corps Times.
* The initial assessment indicated that this was a Class A mishap, meaning it involved at least $2 million in damages.
* Birds have claimed the lives of dozens of US service members, and they cost the US military millions of dollars a year in damaged aircraft. Some airfields have set up bird cannons to disperse the flocks.

A bird reportedly managed to bang up an F-35 stealth fighter to the tune of at least $2 million.

A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter was recently forced to abort take-off after a surprise bird strike, Maj. Eric Flanagan, a spokesman for 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, told Marine Corps Times. The fighter never took flight and "safely taxied off the runway," but it didn't escape the situation unscathed.

Read more ....

Update #1: Bird strike causes more than $2 million in damages to Japan-based Marine Corps F-35B (Marine Times)
Update #2: Marine F-35B Suffers Millions in Damages After Runway Bird Strike (Military.com)

WNU Editor: That is one expensive bird-strike.

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