The Corps has lost its first F-35

The Corps made the determination that the costs to repair the costly high-tech fighter was not be worth the return on investment.

“With the specific F-35B involved in this discussion, the Marine Corps’ cost-benefit analysis determined the repair costs would not yield a sufficient ROI [return on investment] to justify the expenses,” Capt. Christopher Harrison, a Marine spokesman, told Marine Corps Times. “The decision was made to strike the F-35B; however, there has not yet been a strike message as the disposition decision has not yet been made.”

On Oct. 27, 2016, a fire broke out mid-air on F-35B forcing the pilot to land at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.

The faulty bracket, which was known as a potential hazard by officials overseeing the F-35 program, grazed electrical wiring near hydraulic lines. A fire erupted when an electrical short ignited a small hydraulic leak.

Despite the loss of the F-35 the Marine Corps has made some recent historic strides with its F-35 program.

Earlier this year, the F-35B made its first deployment aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU. And during that deployment, live munitions were loaded onto an F-35 for the first time while underway.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary is also slated to deploy with F-35s. That unit is still amid pre-deployment workups.

marinecorpstimes.com