WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL) Subcommittee, released the following statement following reports of an F-35 fighter jet crashing off the airfield at Albuquerque International Sunport:
“I am incredibly grateful to the first responders who promptly aided the pilot after this crash and relieved to hear the pilot is in stable condition. I am praying for the pilot and their family as they undergo treatment for serious injuries.
“Any crash of our military aircraft is of utmost concern. While we know that expanding F-35 test capacity is the first step to fundamental F-35 transformation, this incident exacerbates the already urgent need to expand it. That’s why I authored an amendment in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act to increase F-35 test capacity by 50%, ensuring that the U.S. military can accelerate tests associated with our nation’s largest defense acquisition program.
“This incident will undoubtedly cause a technical setback for F-35 modernization and warrants an extensive and thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of this crash.”