Jet carrying British military personnel suddenly lands unexpectedly at Kagoshima Airport in Japan.
British F-35B Jet Makes Emergency Landing in Japan
A British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport in Kirishima City, Japan, on August 10, 2025, at around 11:30 a.m. local time. The incident occurred during a joint Indo-Pacific drill involving the UK, Japan, and the US militaries.
The jet, part of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier strike group, was participating in a joint training exercise with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. military in southwestern Japan. The aircraft experienced a mid-air mechanical malfunction, prompting the pilot to contact air traffic control and request an emergency landing clearance.
The runway at Kagoshima Airport was temporarily closed for about 20 minutes, causing delays for some scheduled commercial flights—approximately six flights in and out were delayed. After the jet was safely moved to a taxiway and the airport verified safety, normal airport operations resumed. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The F-35B has remained stranded at Kagoshima Airport awaiting spare parts for repairs. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force engineers have assessed the aircraft, but repairs are pending due to the need for replacement components. The technical issue involved in this case has been confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence to be unrelated to a previous June 14 incident involving the same carrier’s F-35B, which made an emergency landing in Kerala, India, due to hydraulic failure and was stranded there for five weeks.
This is the second such incident for a British F-35B within a few weeks, highlighting concerns over the reliability of the fleet on extended overseas deployments. The aircraft in question is a complex fifth-generation fighter with short takeoff and vertical landing capability (STOVL), making the naval variant (F-35B) particularly sophisticated.
The Japanese government has not yet announced any changes to the joint training exercise as a result of the emergency landing. The Self-Defense Forces provided assistance in managing the emergency landing. The F-35B jet that made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport is the first such incident involving a foreign military aircraft at the airport.
Key Points:
- Date and location: August 10, 2025; Kagoshima Airport, Japan
- Aircraft: British Royal Navy F-35B from HMS Prince of Wales
- Reason for landing: Mechanical malfunction mid-air
- Time runway closed: About 20 minutes
- Impact on flights: Several commercial flights delayed (~6 flights)
- Injuries: None reported
- Context: Part of Indo-Pacific joint military drills with Japan and US
- Aftermath: Aircraft stranded in Japan awaiting spares and repair
- Previous related incident: June 14 emergency landing in Kerala, India due to hydraulic failure, aircraft grounded for 5 weeks
- Aircraft characteristics: 5th generation stealth, STOVL naval variant
- Official statements: UK Ministry of Defence confirmed unrelated faults in each incident and current assessment underway
This emergency landing briefly disrupted commercial airport operations but no casualties occurred. The incident underlines operational challenges faced by the advanced but complex F-35B stealth fighter during extended deployments abroad.
