All news
29 Jan, 14:15

Multi-million F-35 fighter jet fails Arctic test, expert says

Alexander Stepanov previously commented on F-35 crashes, calling them "regular"

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet that crashed in Alaska showed it is unsuitable for Arctic conditions, military expert Alexander Stepanov, the program director of the Academy of Political Sciences, senior research fellow at the Institute of Latin America of the Academy of Sciences has told TASS.

Earlier, the Anchorage Daily News said that a fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

"F-35s tend to fail. And not just anywhere, but in Alaska. There are a total of 54 fighter jets stationed at the base. The average price of one new F-35 is about $81 million," the expert said. "This illustrates the operational capabilities of the world's most expensive fighter in the Arctic zone and the number of units delivered to the countries of Northern Europe and Canada."

Stepanov pointed out that Canada was planning to purchase 88 F-35 fighters. Finland has already received the first batch of 64 units, and 52 F-35A Lightning IIs have been delivered to the Norwegian Air Force.

"Clearly, Lockheed Martin's multi-billion dollar strategy of expansion into the Arctic states is facing the challenge of harsh climatic conditions," the expert added.

This is not the first crash of F-35 fighter jets. In December 2022, a plane was lost during a test flight in Texas. On September 17, 2023, an F-35B crashed during a training flight in South Carolina. In late May 2024, a fighter of the same model crashed after takeoff from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Stepanov previously commented on F-35 crashes, calling them "regular."