A British F-35B Lightning II from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport on Sunday morning following a reported technical issue. The fighter jet landed safely at around 11:30 a.m. local time, with the pilot unharmed.
According to NHK News, the airport was closed for approximately 20 minutes while the aircraft was moved from the runway to a taxiway, allowing commercial flights to resume with only minor delays. Air traffic control was alerted in advance by the pilot, who requested diversion due to the fault.
The incident comes weeks after another F-35B from the same carrier was stranded in India for over a month due to mechanical issues. The Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group (CSG 25), currently deployed under Operation Highmast, has 18 F-35Bs in the region. The group recently arrived near Japan after participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia, and made history with the first-ever landing of British jets on the Japanese naval vessel Kaga during joint drills with U.S. and Japanese forces.
While such technical faults can attract public attention, military officials note they are relatively common for frontline aircraft and emergency landings are standard safety measures. Repair and recovery of the jet are expected to be straightforward, with spare parts and technical support available from the carrier group or nearby allied bases such as MCAS Iwakuni.
Kagoshima Airport, the second-busiest on Kyushu island, has a 3,000-metre runway and serves both domestic and short-haul international routes.
