(Reuters) - A U.S. military F-35B fighter jet crashed near the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina on Friday, for reasons that are under investigation, local law officials and the U.S. military said. The pilot, the only person aboard the craft, ejected safely and was being checked for injuries, said a Pentagon spokesman, adding that there were no other injuries. The jet crashed just before noon local time. It was a Lockheed Martin F-35B, a short take-off/vertical landing version of the F-35, said a U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was the first crash of an F-35 fighter jet since they became operational in 2006, said another military official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity. Friday's incident also marked the first time a pilot had ejected from an F-35B, the official said. Neither military nor local officials immediately offered a cause for the crash. Military officials said the crash was under investigation. Lockheed referred Reuters to the military for comment on the incident. The F-35B stealth fighter jet was used by the United States in combat this week for the first time, against the Taliban in Afghanistan, after taking off from an amphibious assault ship in the Arabian Sea. Israel in May was the first country to use the F-35 stealth fighter in combat. The crash came on the same day that the Pentagon announced an $11.5 billion contract for 141 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed, which lowers the price for the most common version of the stealthy jet by 5.4 percent. The plane in the South Carolina crash was one of 245 F-35 fighter jets in the U.S. military, a Pentagon official said, and one of a total of 320 F-35 jets being flown around the world. Under the new contract signed on Friday, the next deliveries of F-35B jets will cost about $115 million each, military officials told Reuters. The F-35B is the most expensive of three variants of the F-35, which also include the F-35A conventional take-off and landing version, and the F-35C, used aboard aircraft carriers. Lockheed is the No. 1 U.S. defense contractor. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Mike Stone in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)<doc-sep>An F-35B fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina late Friday morning, military officials said, just days after the cutting-edge aircraft flew its first combat mission in Afghanistan. “At approximately 11:45, a 2D Marine Aircraft Wing F-35B impacted near the Broad River in Beaufort County. The pilot safely ejected and is being examined by medical personnel,” Marine Corps officials said in a statement. “To ensure the safety of the general public, as well as officials securing the site, all civilians should remain clear. More information will be provided as it becomes available.” The incident, which is under investigation, comes during the same week the aircraft was first used in a combat zone. F-35B fighters with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 flew their first combat missions in Afghanistan this week, military officials said Thursday, launching air strikes in support of “ground clearance operations.” The cutting-edge plane — which has drawn the ire of President Trump for its high price tag and multiple delays in rolling it out — is designed to take off and land vertically on Navy ships and Marine Corps bases, and is widely seen as a major step forward for military aviation. Earlier Friday, top Pentagon contractor Lockheed Martin announced significant cost reductions for the aircraft. The F-35B, one of three F-35 models, saw its price tag lowered by 5.7 percent to $115.5 million per plane, Lockheed and Pentagon officials said in a statement. “Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program,” said Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 program executive officer at the Pentagon. “We are delivering on our commitment to get the best price for taxpayers and warfighters. This agreement for the next lot of F-35s represents a fair deal for the U.S. government, our international partnership and industry. We remain focused on aggressively reducing F-35 cost and delivering best value. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>A U.S. military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was underway, said the Marine Corps initially classified the crash as a Class A mishap, which is defined as an incident resulting in the complete destruction of the plane, more than $2 million in damage or the fatality or permanent total disability of the crew.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — A US Marine Corps F-35B crashed Friday in Beaufort County, South Carolina, near Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort, a US military official told CNN. The pilot ejected safely and is being evaluated for injury, according to the official. While the jet has experienced mishaps in the past, a US defense official told CNN that this is the first time an F-35 has crashed. The Marines confirmed the incident later on Friday in a statement, saying the “pilot safely ejected from the single-seat aircraft and is currently being evaluated by medical personnel. There were no civilian injuries,” The statement said that the jet belonged to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “The cause of the crash is under investigation,” it added. The F-35B joint strike fighter conducted its first-ever airstrike on Thursday. The F-35 stealth jet has been called the most expensive weapons system in history, and its development was beset by multiple delays before it was deemed combat ready. Earlier on Friday the Pentagon announced a new contract for the next batch of F-35 aircraft, saying that the plane’s contractor, Lockheed Martin had agreed to a reduced price. The announced per-unit price tag for the Marine Corps F-35B was $115.5 million. The F-35B is the only version of the aircraft that is able to land vertically like a helicopter. It can also take off in a much shorter space than other fighter jets. The new contract means the price for the Air Force’s variant of the jet, the F-35A, fell below $90 million for the first time.