The incident in Japan follows a similar episode in June, when a British F-35 Lightning II made an emergency landing in India—and was stranded there for several weeks.
Only weeks after a Royal Navy F-35B was forced to divert to India due to bad weather following joint operations with the Indian Air Force, another British F-35 made an emergency landing in Japan. In both incidents, the short takeoff, vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft diverted to a civilian airport at the last minute.
On Sunday, the British F-35B, operating from the Royal Navy flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport in Kirishima City in the Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. According to national public broadcaster NHK News, the aircraft landed at the airport after 11:30 am, following a request from the pilot.
While a mechanical issue was reported, it is unclear at press time which systems on the advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter may have been affected. The aircraft landed safely at the airport, which closed its runway for 20 minutes while the fighter was moved to a taxiway.
NHK’s social media account shared images of the fighter on the runway.
“Six departing and arriving flights were delayed by about 20 minutes,” the UK Defence Journal reported.
The F-35’s sudden emergency landing also mirrors a similar incident in Japan in May, in which a US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, was deployed to Misawa Air Base as part of a Bomber Task Force mission. Due to a mishap, the Lancer also made an emergency landing, shutting down a shared runway and forcing the cancellation of multiple commercial flights. That incident resulted in a “sharp rebuke from local officials.”
Britain’s F-35Bs Can’t Seem to Stay in the Air
Although the pilot of the British F-35B suffered no injuries, and the issues with the aircraft were reported to be minor, this incident follows another episode where a Lightning was grounded in India for several weeks. That incident required a team to be flown in from the UK, with other experts from the United States, to repair the aircraft. The F-35 in question only just rejoined the HMS Prince of Wales late last month, while the carrier made a scheduled port visit to Darwin, Australia.
In addition, there have been protests over the planned F-35B training at the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) Nyutabaru Airbase, also on Kyushu. The concerns are related to the noise generated from the vertical landings—of which there could be more than 100 monthly, with dozens taking place at night.
F-35s Will Conduct Multiple Exercises from HMS Prince of Wales
Sunday’s incident also comes as British F-35Bs, along with STOVL Lightning IIs from the United States Marine Corps, have been carrying out landings on the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF’s) JS Kaga, the Izumo-class helicopter carrier that is being modified to operate with the fixed-wing fighter. JS Izumo and JS Kaga will serve as de facto aircraft carriers, the first operated by Tokyo since the end of World War II.
The exercises, which are scheduled to continue until Tuesday, are being carried out as part of the efforts to promote greater interoperability between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan, and are the latest involving HMS Prince of Wales during its Operation Highmast deployment to the Indo-Pacific. The Carrier Strike Group 2025 (CSG25) departed the UK in April and included escorts from Canada, Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands, while it was later joined by a frigate from New Zealand.
CSG25 recently took part in the Australian-led multinational Talisman Sabre exercises before heading to Japan for a port visit and F-35 training.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Region: Asia
Topic: Air Warfare
Tags: Japan, United Kingdom, F-35B, Aircraft, HMS Prince of Wales
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
