An American F-16 fighter jet prepares to land at an air base south of Seoul (Reuters)
The US Army announced that one of its F-16 fighter planes crashed on Wednesday morning in the waters off the western coast of South Korea, confirming that the pilot of the plane was able to survive after successfully jumping from it.
The US Army said - in a statement - that the fighter was exposed to an emergency while flying over the Western Sea (Yellow Sea) before it crashed, adding that the pilot was recovered while he was conscious and was taken to the hospital to evaluate his health condition.
For its part, the South Korean Yonhap Agency reported that the American fighter jet crashed in the waters near Gunsan (274 kilometers south of the capital, Seoul).
There is a US Air Force base in Gunsan that operates this type of military aircraft. This is the third American F-16 fighter to crash in South Korea since May 2023.
The United States deploys more than 28,000 soldiers in South Korea, which is one of its most prominent allies in the region, and provides it with a nuclear umbrella to protect it from a possible attack from North Korea.
Source: Agencies