A British F-35B stealth fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport in southwestern Japan on Sunday after experiencing a technical malfunction, according to reports from Kyodo News. The incident occurred at around 11:30 a.m., prompting airport authorities to temporarily close the runway. This brief closure, lasting roughly 20 minutes, disrupted several commercial departures and arrivals before normal operations resumed. No injuries were reported.
The aircraft is part of a British carrier strike group currently participating in a joint military drill with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force and US forces. The exercise, which began on August 4, is scheduled to continue until next Tuesday.
This marks the second emergency landing involving a British F-35B in recent months. On June 14, another jet from the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales carrier was forced to divert to Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala, India, due to a hydraulic system failure during a routine sortie. Unable to return to the carrier, the aircraft was grounded for five weeks before departing on July 22 after repairs. The British High Commission later expressed gratitude to the Indian authorities for their assistance, which included refuelling and ground support.
The latest incident has attracted international attention, particularly from state-run media in China and Russia. Russia’s Sputnik India mocked the situation on X, noting, “British F-35 makes emergency landing... Again. Just weeks after one F-35 was stranded in India, another was forced into an emergency landing at Japan’s Kagoshima Airport. Collecting emergency landings like souvenirs.”
China’s Global Times took a more critical tone, citing Chinese aviation expert Wang Ya’nan, who suggested that the F-35B’s “overly complex systems and demanding maintenance requirements” may be straining UK personnel during extended overseas deployments.
The F-35B, built by Lockheed Martin, is one of the most advanced stealth fighters in the world, featuring short take-off and vertical landing capabilities. However, its sophistication also makes it maintenance-intensive — a factor now under renewed scrutiny as consecutive malfunctions occur during high-profile international missions.
