British F-35B Fighter Jet Makes Safe Emergency Landing at Kagoshima Airport
A British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet from the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales conducted an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport on Sunday morning due to a reported technical issue. The aircraft, which landed safely at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time, had an unharmed pilot aboard.
NHK News reported that the airport experienced a temporary closure of about 20 minutes as the aircraft was relocated from the runway to a taxiway. This allowed commercial air traffic to continue with only minor delays. The pilot had notified air traffic control in advance, requesting a diversion because of the technical fault.
This incident follows a previous occurrence just weeks ago when another F-35B from the same carrier was stranded in India for over a month due to mechanical problems. The Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, known as CSG 25, is currently deployed for Operation Highmast in the region with 18 F-35Bs. They had recently arrived near Japan after taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia. During this deployment, the group made a historic mark with the first landing of British jets on the Japanese naval ship Kaga during joint exercises with U.S. and Japanese forces.
Military officials emphasize that such technical issues are fairly common with frontline aircraft, and emergency landings are standard procedures for safety. The repair and recovery process for the jet is anticipated to be straightforward, as spare parts and technical support are available from the carrier group or nearby allied bases like MCAS Iwakuni.
Kagoshima Airport, the second busiest airport on Kyushu island, features a 3,000-metre runway and caters to both domestic and short-haul international flights.
