A UK F‑35B fighter made an emergency landing in Japan due to a technical issue, delaying flights. It's the second incident after a similar June incident reported in India. (Photo: RAF)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why Elon Musk’s X Has Been Slapped With $140 Million Fine in Europe? All You Need To Know
The European Union has fined the Elon Musk's social media company X with $140 million…
Vladimir Putin sat beside PM Modi as President Droupadi Murmu hosted a state banquet at…
The state dinner invitation to Shashi Tharoor with Putin, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge…
