The Miramar F-35 Crash: Why Do America’s Stealth Fighter Jets Keep Crashing?

A United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II recently suffered a devastating Class A mishap, crashing just short of the runway at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. But this isn't an isolated incident—it is the newest chapter in a growing crisis for America's most expensive weapons program. With over a dozen major hull losses across its variants and an abysmal full mission-capable rate of roughly 25%, the F-35 is struggling to meet its basic operational requirements.