Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter was significantly damaged when a round fired from its underbelly 25mm gun pod exploded.
An ammunition round that exploded following its discharge from a Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, earlier this month caused damage to the stealth fighter’s fuselage, according to the service.
The F-35B, capable of short takeoff and vertical landings, was conducting a nighttime close air support mission on March 12 on the Yuma Range Complex when a PGU-32/U Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (SAPHEI-T) 25mm round exploded after leaving the fighter’s cannon, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Andrew Wood confirmed to Military.com on Tuesday.
The aircraft landed safely, according to a Naval Safety Center report, which first noted the incident. “The mishap did not result in any injury to personnel, and an investigation of the incident is currently taking place,” Wood said in an email.