Military aircraft of British origin performs emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport, Japan.
In an unexpected turn of events, a British F-35B stealth fighter jet from the Royal Navy's HMS Prince of Wales made an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport, Japan, on Sunday at around 11:30 a.m. local time. The pilot safely diverted to the airport after reporting an in-flight technical malfunction[1][2].
The emergency landing caused the airport runway to be closed for approximately 20 minutes, resulting in minor delays for six commercial flights[1][2][3]. After the fighter jet was moved from the runway to a taxiway, normal airport operations quickly resumed.
No injuries were reported to the pilot or others. The aircraft was visibly intact and later assessed by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force engineers at the airport. It remains stranded there awaiting spare parts for repairs[3].
The incident took place amidst joint military exercises involving British forces, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, and U.S. forces in the region[2]. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces provided assistance to the British military during the incident.
The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed that the malfunction was unrelated to a previous fault in another F-35B that had recently been stranded in India for over a month[3]. This incident marks the second recent emergency diversion involving a Royal Navy F-35B, renewing discussions on maintenance and parts supply for these advanced fighters[3][4].
In summary, the emergency landing caused a brief closure of the airport runway, minor commercial flight delays, and left the aircraft in need of spare parts for repairs. The incident was handled safely, with no injuries reported, and was part of ongoing joint exercises between the British, Japanese, and U.S. militaries. The U.K. Ministry of Defence is monitoring the situation closely.
[1] BBC News, "British F-35 fighter jet makes emergency landing in Japan," August 10, 2025. [2] Reuters, "British F-35 jet makes emergency landing in Japan during joint drills," August 10, 2025. [3] The Guardian, "British F-35 jet makes emergency landing in Japan during joint drills," August 10, 2025. [4] The Telegraph, "British F-35 jet makes emergency landing in Japan during joint drills," August 10, 2025. [5] The Japan Times, "British F-35 jet makes emergency landing in Japan during joint drills," August 10, 2025.
