US Defense Secretary's Plane Makes Emergency Landing In UK Due To Windshield Crack

London: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in the United Kingdom after a crack in the plane's windshield on Wednesday. The dramatic incident occurred when Hegseth's flight was en route to the United States from a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels. 

According to the Pentagon, the plane landed safely, and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, was reported to be safe. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell took to social media to confirm the incident, stating, "The plane landed based on standard procedures, and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe."

The officials stated that the incident occurred when Hegseth's plane was en route to the US after attending a crucial NATO meeting in Brussels. At the meeting, Hegseth had called for member countries to contribute more military aid to Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. 

Reports suggested that Pete Hegseth's plane, a Boeing C-32A, was forced to make an emergency landing at RAF Mildenhall in the UK due to a crack in the cockpit windshield. According to the Pentagon, the crew declared an emergency after detecting a depressurisation issue, prompting them to descend to 10,000 feet. 

The recent incident has drawn serious concerns regarding the safety protocols being followed and the maintenance of the aircraft used for senior US officials. Notably, the present incident wasn't the first time a US military aircraft has experienced such an issue. In February, a similar incident occurred when an Air Force C-32 carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Jim Risch was forced to return to Washington due to a problem with the cockpit windshield. The C-32, a modified Boeing 757-200, is used to transport high-ranking US officials, including the Vice President, Cabinet members, and members of Congress.

Meanwhile, reacting to the incident, Hegseth himself took to social media to express his gratitude for the safety of everyone on board. "All good. Thank God. Continue mission!" he posted.

As per reports, while the exact cause of the windshield crack is yet to be determined, an investigation is likely to be conducted to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident. 

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.