Republic of Korea to scrap nearly $100m F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter jet after collision with an eagle

An eagle caused nearly $100 million worth of damage to the Republic of Korea Air Force. The bird collided with an F-35 Lightning II. The fifth-generation fighter will be decommissioned.

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The eagle hit a vacuum pump and damaged part of the aircraft's systems. Lockheed Martin as a result of diagnostics determined that the bird disrupted about three hundred components, including the propulsion system.

The Republic of Korea Air Force decided to decommission the F-35 Lightning II because of the high cost of restoration. It will cost $107.6 million to repair the aircraft, while the price of one new fighter jet is less than $100 million.

The incident occurred in early 2022. Immediately after the collision, there was talk of taking the damaged F-35 Lightning II out of service. The decommissioning of the fighter jet would have to be agreed with the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Defence.

Source: Yonhap