The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the leaked footage does indeed capture their newest F-35C fighter jet crashing on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on January 24, 2022.
A spokesperson for the U.S, Navy told Motherboard, “We are aware that there has been an unauthorized release of video footage from flight deck cameras onboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) of the F-35C Lightning II crash that occurred Jan. 24, in the South China Sea,” Cmdr. Zachary Harrell, said “There is an ongoing investigation into both the crash and the unauthorized release of the shipboard video footage.”
The violent crash decimated the aircraft, injured the pilot (who ejected) and six other crewmen - all are reported to be in stable condition. The cause of the crash is unknown and being investigated.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, with a price tag said to be well over $100 million, the F-35C jet is one of the most expensive weapons ever built. These expensive jets also require each pilot to have a custom fitted helmet that runs $400,000 each.
The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and its carrier strike group, departed San Diego in August 2021 and were in the South China Sea when the incident occurred. The force and speed at which the jet hit the carrier's deck caused it to catch fire and skid all the way across the deck's runway before falling into the sea. The Navy hasn't recovered the jet and since the waters are a contested space, there is concern that China will salvage the aircraft first.