The Air Force said a comprehensive analysis with its U.S. manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, showed that the F-35A suffered damage to about 300 components. The list includes the airframe, the structure, the engine, and the control and navigation system.
Given the high cost and length of time required to repair the aircraft, as well as other safety concerns, the Air Force's review board concluded that it was better to retire the aircraft than to repair it. The plan will be finalized with the approval of the South Korean Ministry of Defense.
The Yonhap news agency reported that the repair cost of the aircraft, one of 40 F-35As in the Air Force, was estimated at about 140 billion won ($107.6 million), higher than the unit acquisition cost, which military officials said was estimated at 110 billion won.
The Air Force said it will consider various ways to use the retired aircraft, including its possible use in training for mechanics.
In January 2022, a South Korean F-35 pilot was forced to make a hard landing after the aircraft collided with a 10-kilogram eagle during training. The collision caused a malfunction in the avionics system.
The bird allegedly hit the left air intake of the aircraft, broke through the partition of the weapons compartment, damaged the hydraulic channel and power cables, and blocked the landing gear.
According to the South Korean Air Force, the incident occurred when the fighter jet was flying at a low altitude to get to the training ground after taking off from an air base 140 kilometers south of Seoul.
Due to the inability to deploy the landing gear, the pilot decided to land on the fuselage. The plane crash-landed, and the pilot was not injured.
Source: Yonhap
