The U.S. Air Force confirmed that a fighter jet crashed inside the United States, most likely an F-35 "sparring partner"

Source: World Wide Web

On February 10, local time, the US Air Force released news that a private military contractor's "Mirage" F1 fighter jet crashed in a non-residential area west of Phoenix, Arizona, during flight training that morning, and the pilot catapulted to escape. A military contractor called Airborne Tactical Advantage Corporation (ATAC) also confirmed that the crashed fighter belonged to the company.

Screenshot of the crash scene video released by the US media FOX10

According to the US "Army Times" quoted the Associated Press on the 11th, US Air Force officials said that the crash site was located in a no-man's land about 15 miles west of Luke Air Force Base. The fighter has been flying at the base, which is the main base for the U.S. Air Force to train F-35 fighter pilots.

The report did not mention the cause of the crash.

Russia Today (RT) reported that local police, firefighters and explosive ordnance disposal experts responded by arriving at the crash site, indicating that the fighter may have been armed at the time.

The crashed Mirage F1 fighter was developed by the French company Dassault. Retired from the French Air Force in 2014, the aircraft now plays the role of "imaginary enemy" in the hands of some military contractors to train U.S. pilots in confrontation drills.

According to reports, judging from the disclosed situation, this fighter is likely to be a "sparring" for the US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter.

This is the second time in less than a year that the Mirage F1 fighter jet has crashed inside the United States. The last time was in May 2021, when another private military contractor operating a Mirage F1 fighter jet crashed in Las Vegas, killing the pilot in an accident.