South Korea May Junk F-35A Jet that Landed on its Belly Following a Bird Hit

South Korea may choose to scrap the F-35A fighter that landed on its belly following a bird hit last year, after it found out the cost of its repairs would exceed $80 million.

On January 4, 2022, a ROKAF F-35A stealth fighter that took off from the Cheongju base collided with a large eagle during flight, and the eagle was sucked into the air intake. After that, the fighter's avionics stopped working. Its landing gear, which serves as a brake and wheels during take-off and landing, was also jammed.

The fighter landed without landing gear on the runway of the Seosan base, and the air force said at the time that the damage to the fuselage was minimal.

A day after the incident, Shin Ok-chul, former deputy chief of staff of the Air Force said, "There was some damage to the lower part of the fuselage during the fuselage landing, and we are currently conducting a detailed investigation to see if there is any damage inside the aircraft."

A later evaluation concluded that the F-35A’s fuselage, engine, and several other major parts were severely damaged, so the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) is considering scrapping the fighter, Defense Industry Strategy Forum (DISF) wrote Tuesday.

A military source told DISF, "As a result of a close examination, the fuselage of the front and rear wings, the airframe, and the engine of the aircraft were severely distorted by the impact of the landing."

The Air Force is receiving damage and repair-related data from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, and it is reported that the cost of repairs reaches 110 billion won (nearly $84 million). Since it was an accident with no company responsibility or insurance coverage, the South Korean military has to bear the full cost.

When considering the remaining life after repair, the actual benefit is not large, so the Air Force is reviewing ways to dispose of it or use it as an educational aid, DISF said.