US Air Force's F-22, F-35 stealth fighters devastated by mother nature and freak accidents

Reuters

As many as 17 of these limited-run $140 million top fighter jets could be beyond repair.

• The US Air Force sustained a massive blow to its fleet of stealth fighters in October due to a powerful hurricane possibly destroying 17 F-22s, and an F-35 crash that grounded the entire fleet of Joint Strike Fighters.
• As many as 17 F-22 Raptors may have been destroyed, though the Air Force now says damage wasn't as bad as previously thought.
• F-35s have also started to take back to the skies, but others remain grounded as a fleet-wide inspection takes place.
• Even if all F-35s and F-22s turn out fine, the loss to Tyndall, where stealth fighter training takes place, represents a huge setback to US air dominance on par with losing a big battle.

The US Air Force sustained a massive blow to its fleet of stealth fighters in October due to a powerful hurricane possibly destroying 17 F-22s, and an F-35 crash that grounded the entire fleet of Joint Strike Fighters.

An F-35B crash in September led to an investigation that led the Pentagon to ground all F-35s until they could clear them of a suspected defect in the fuel lines.

Then Hurricane Michael, the most powerful storm of its kind to touch down in Florida for 50 years, absolutely devastated Tyndall Air Force Base, all but wiping it off the map.

"Tyndall has been destroyed," Florida Sen. Bill Nelson told the News Harold. "The older buildings will have to be razed and rebuilt. The newer structures on the base that have survived the monster storm will need substantial repairs."

Initial reporting indicated that up to 17 of the F-22s may have been damaged beyond repair. That number represents about 10% of all existing F-22s, which the US relies on for air dominance against top-tier enemies.

Pentagon photos showed the absolute destruction of the base, which affected every aircraft hangar on base. While images showed that a hangar holding F-22s took severe damage, Air Force Secretary Heather A. Wilson later said the damage was less than they feared and that "preliminary indications are promising."

Exactly how many, if any, F-22s took damage in the worse-than-expected storm remains unclear, but with Tyndall in ruins and the military families living there displaced indefinitely, the fighter training program at that critical base appears to have suffered a serious blow.

"It will take time to recover but we've been through this before and our Airmen are up to the challenge," Wilson said. "Tyndall leadership will continue working hard to get information to Airmen and families and all those displaced. We will be working detailed plans in the days ahead to tackle and overcome the challenges. We will get through this together."

Similarly, the F-35B downing in September likely caused the US Navy's USS Essex to enter the Persian Gulf, where white-hot tensions with Iran have frequently produced military threats and harassment without working fighters. All F-35s aboard the Essex are now up and running, the Marine Corps Times reports.

Already F-35s around the globe have taken back to the skies after passing inspection. Business Insider has reached out to the Joint Program Office in charge of F-35 integration to get an exact quote on how many remain grounded, and will update this post with any further information.

In another unrelated freak accident, a Belgian F-16 mechanic accidentally unloaded the fighter's Vulcan cannon into another F-16, which immediately burned to an irreparable crisp.

Lasting damage at Tyndall

US Air Force

Two F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., fly in formation and conduct training operations with two Royal Norwegian air force F-35A Lightning II aircraft during an air refueling over Norway, Aug. 15, 2018.

Taken in total, the US has suffered grievous blows to its top-of-the line fighters' readiness, particularly due to the losses at Tyndall, which could set the F-22 community back considerably even if a single jet hasn't been damaged or destroyed.

Without the hangars in working order, and much of the base's personnel displaced, Tyndall's role as a critical training hub for pilots the US needs for air-to-air battles and protecting high-value air assets can't continue there, though the functions of Tyndall can likely in part be taken on by nearby Eglin or other air bases.

But September and October have seen the US Air Force hit by freak accidents and severe weather in damages that seem to have crippled the force more than enemy fires have in decades.