An F-16C assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB, South Korea, crashed on Wednesday near Kunsan Air Base in that country during a routine training mission, announced Kunsan officials. The pilot safely ejected before the F-16 crashed into a rice field, they said. No injuries were reported; response teams were on scene. “We are grateful the pilot is safe and that no one was injured,” said Col. Patrick McKenzie, commander of Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing, parent unit of the 36th FS. He added, “Our main priority now is conducting an investigation to determine what happened.” The Air Force will provide additional details as they become available, said the Kunsan officials.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.