• For reasons unknown yet, a pilot ejected from a F-35B.
• The plane was flying over South Carolina.
• After ejection, the plane kept going… and going… and going.

Good morning from a cool gray Asti.

A few days ago, I misplaced my phone. Pam, annoyed at me for the umpteenth time for losing my phone in our apartment, said, “I’d call it, but you never put your damn ringer on!”

I sheepishly looked away. I hate it when she’s so coldly right.

Of course, I always find it in the end.

But it’s a needless waste of time, exacerbated by the fact that I can’t just ring it to find it.

But last night, I felt better. Much better.

Sometimes, the newsletter gods just throw me grapefruits.

Seriously. I mean, on what other timeline could I check Zero Hedge and have it read, “Military missing F-35?”

But before I get into this episode, let’s revisit the F-35, the hole in the sky the USG continues to pour money into.

Chronology of the F-35

I’ve written about this budgetary disaster before, but let’s review the timeline again. This way, you can see how long this saga has been going on… and how much it’s cost.

• 2001: The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program is launched to develop a new fifth-generation fighter jet for the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as for allied nations.

• 2002: Lockheed Martin is awarded the JSF contract.

• 2006: The first F-35 prototype makes its maiden flight.

• 2007: The F-35 program begins to experience significant cost overruns and developmental delays.

• 2011: The F-35 program undergoes a major restructuring to reduce costs and accelerate development.

• 2012: The first F-35 is delivered to the US Air Force.

• 2013: The F-35 begins initial operational testing and evaluation (IOT&E).

• 2014: The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticizes the F-35 program in a report that finds it’s still facing significant challenges and is unlikely to meet its cost and schedule goals.

• 2015: The F-35 program is delayed another year, with the first full-rate production aircraft now scheduled for delivery in 2019.

• 2016: The F-35 program is again delayed, with the first full-rate production aircraft now scheduled for delivery in 2021.

• 2017: The F-35 program is yet again delayed, with the first full-rate production aircraft now scheduled for delivery in 2023.

• 2018: The Pentagon criticized the F-35 program in a report that finds it still faces significant problems and is unlikely to meet its cost and schedule goals.

• 2019: The first full-rate production F-35 is delivered to the US Air Force.

• 2020: The GAO criticizes the F-35 program in a second report that finds it still faces significant problems and is unlikely to meet its cost and schedule goals.

• 2021: The F-35 program is further delayed, with the full-rate production schedule now pushed back by two years.

• 2022:

• Several problems, including supply chain issues, engine problems, and software glitches, plague the F-35 program.
• In February 2022, the Pentagon temporarily paused fighter deliveries because it discovered a Chinese-made part was used in production.
• In August 2022, deliveries were paused again after an F-35 crashed in Texas.
• In December 2022, the GAO released yet another report that found that the F-35 program still needs to improve and is unlikely to meet its cost and schedule goals.

• 2023:

• The F-35 program continues to be plagued by problems, including those same supply chain issues, engine problems, and software glitches.

• In addition to the cost and schedule problems, the F-35 program has also been plagued by a few technical issues. These problems include:

• Issues with the stealth coating
• Problems with sustained supersonic flight
• Issues with the helmet-mounted display
• Excessive vibration from the cannon
• Vulnerability to being hit by lightning

The F-35 program has also been criticized for its lack of spare parts and high maintenance costs.

Despite its numerous problems, the F-35 is allegedly the most advanced fighter jet in the world. It is also the most expensive fighter jet ever built, with a total program cost of over $1.5 trillion.

The US military expects the F-35 to remain in service for several decades. (I don’t share their optimism.) However, the program's many problems have led to calls for its cancellation or downsizing. I think a cancellation is much more likely.

But to be honest, I’m not sure the Pentagon accountants have ever heard of “sunk costs.”

What Happened This Time?

According to Zero Hedge:

On Sunday afternoon, Joint Base Charleston, an air base in North Charleston, was working with Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to "locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap". The pilot ejected safely from F-35B Lightning II, but there were no immediate crash reports.

The fact that the $140 million stealth fighter disappeared without any reports of a crash means it might have gone down in a sparsely populated area. The Drive pointed out, "The DoD is saying the F-35B was put on autopilot prior to the ejection."

Military expert and former British military officer Frank Ledwidge told Newsweek the F-35 "could likely travel hundreds of miles without its pilot."

"Historically, an aircraft without a pilot can fly a long way on autopilot," added Frederik Mertens, a military analyst with the Hague Center for Security Studies.

The Washington Post quoted Jeremy Huggins, a spokesman at Joint Base Charleston, who said the F-35's transponder was not working "for some reason that we haven't yet determined."

Thank heavens, my iPhone doesn’t have wings! I’d never find it…

At least the government wasn’t shy about asking for help:

Credit: @TeamCharleston

But the funnies just kept coming:

Credit: @The BabylonBee

Credit: @ramble_rants

Credit: @The BabylonBee

Wrap-Up

If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry.

The last time I wrote about the F-35, we learned it can’t fly near lightning.

Now, it seems like it can fly off a long way without its pilot… and any way to find out where it went.

These are your tax dollars at work.

Maybe it’s time for the Pentagon to put them to better use.

Have a great day!