A U.S. F-16 fighter jet had an issue while in flight and went down near the South Korean coast. Wednesday morning local time saw the downfall of the single-seat jet. After a safe ejection, the pilot spent less than an hour submerged before being recovered.
One of the F-16C planes from the USAF 8th Fighter Wing went down in the Yellow Sea at about 8:40 am local time on January 3, according to the public affairs office of the wing. Kunsan Air Base is located about 110 miles south of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The wing commander, Colonel Matthew C. Gaetke, stated that the pilot had declared an in-flight emergency and evacuated from the plane. The pilot was located at approximately 9:30 in the morning after a joint search and rescue operation was initiated by soldiers from the United States and South Korea. Upon regaining consciousness, he was promptly transported for a medical evaluation. With the pilot out of harm’s way, Col. Gaetke stated that salvaging the fighter’s wreckage should be the next priority; the cause of the crash will remain unknown until the investigation is finished.
With almost 700 in active service, the F-16 remains the backbone of the Air Force’s fighter aircraft, despite being an older design (it initially entered USAF service in 1978). Many US allies also utilize it. Equipped with an advanced modern radar and the latest Link 16 tactical datalink, which allows aircraft to communicate targeting information with each other, the 8th Fighter Wing is home to two squadrons of the recently upgraded F-16CM Block 40 version. Enemy nations would greatly benefit from the technology on board the downed plane, and the Yellow Sea is bordered to the northeast by North Korea and to the west by China. Locating the wreck and ensuring its full destruction or recovery will greatly strengthen our technological advantage over both possible enemies.
