According to NBC News, General Eric Smith, the acting commandant of the United States Marine Corps, has issued an order to halt all Marine Corps aircraft both within and outside the United States. This decision was made following the inexplicable disappearance of a stealth F-35 fighter plane in South Carolina. While Marine aircraft currently deployed abroad or with upcoming missions have the option of temporarily delaying the order given on Monday, they are nevertheless anticipated to stand down for two days later this week, according to the site, citing officials.
The Marine Corps leadership aims to use this stand down to guarantee that the service “maintains the operational standardization”
The Pentagon stated in a statement that this operational pause is intended to give units the opportunity to engage in conversations about aviation safety issues and share best practices. Furthermore, the Marine Corps leadership aims to use this stand down to guarantee that the service “maintains the operational standardization of combat-ready aircraft with well-prepared pilots and crews,” according to NBC News. “During the safety stand down, aviation commanders will lead discussions with their Marines focusing on the fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, US authorities hunting for the F-35B Lightning II plane, which costs around $80 million, discovered the debris on Monday. The debris field was discovered in South Carolina’s Williamsburg County. When the F-35 jet went missing over South Carolina on Sunday, Joint Base Charleston (JBC) made a social media plea for anyone with information to phone in. Late Monday afternoon, flight tracking sites showed multiple search planes concentrated on a woodland and farming area near Stuckey, which is in Williamsburg County, roughly 120 kilometers north of Charleston.
