Two F-35s Trapped on Atlantic Island for Two Months
The impact of America's industrial hollowing-out is gradually becoming evident.
Recently, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported that two "Lightning" fighter jets (F-35s) received by Britain have been stranded on the Azores Islands for two months due to mechanical failures.
According to British media, these two aircraft are part of the final batch of 48 fighters purchased by the UK from the United States. The Royal Air Force pilots took off from Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, en route back to the UK, but experienced mechanical issues mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing on the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
As the planes have not yet been formally delivered to the UK, maintenance responsibility still falls under the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. However, reports indicate that Lockheed Martin has so far failed to effectively resolve the faults, leaving these two aircraft—worth £80 million—stranded on the Azores for nearly two months.
This is not the first time the Lightning jets have encountered such embarrassment. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has repeatedly criticized the military’s poor readiness levels for the F-35 fleet. Last year, a report by the UK National Audit Office also pointed out that the existing F-35 fleet in the UK can only perform about one-third of the missions required.
Frequent breakdowns of the Lightning jets appear, on the surface, to be technical and supply chain issues, but fundamentally reflect the consequences of America's industrial hollowing-out. While the U.S. still retains the capability to design and assemble cutting-edge weapons, the entire supply chain and precision manufacturing infrastructure has become severely compromised, making it commonplace that something can be built—but not function properly.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865872865512521/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.