A Royal Air Force F‑35B aircraft made an unscheduled touchdown at Kagoshima Airport in southwestern Japan after the pilot reported a potential malfunction during flight, local media reported in what marks the second such incident in recent months involving a UK F‑35B jet. The pilot contacted air traffic control, stating a “possible mechanical problem” and requested an emergency landing, the airport office told Japanese broadcaster NHK.
The jet landed safely around 11:30 am, with no injuries reported. The runway, reports suggest, was closed for roughly 20 minutes while safety checks were conducted, delaying six commercial flights before normal operations resumed.
Part of Wider Deployment in Indo‑Pacific
Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the aircraft belongs to HMS Prince of Wales, currently deployed with Carrier Strike Group 25 in the Western Pacific. The landing was due to “an aircraft malfunction” amid joint exercises with Japan’s Maritime Self‑Defense Force and US forces, known as Operation Highmast.
Similar Incident Reported in India
Earlier, a similar incident was reported On 14 June when a UK F‑35B jet, travelling from the UK to Australia, made an emergency landing in the southern state of Kerala, following a hydraulic failure. The aircraft remained stranded in Thiruvananthapuram for over five weeks before finally departing for the UK.
Why It Matters
Analysts say two emergency landings in such a short span across different regions raises have raised serious questions about the F‑35B’s reliability during extended deployments.
