A Royal Navy F-35B — same type of aircraft now grounded at a civil airport in Japan. (Photo by Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
For the second time in its Operation Highmast deployment, the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales saw one of its advanced short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) fighter planes forced to make an emergency landing at a civilian airport in a faraway land. At least on Sunday, the F-35B Lightning II (designated the “Lightning” in UK service) is in a country that actually operates the aircraft, which may help alleviate some of the security concerns that occurred when the other Lightning II was grounded for more than a month in India.
During a joint aerial exercise with the Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces, the F-35B was forced to divert to Kagoshima Airport in south-western Japan after experiencing an in-flight malfunction. It was able to land without significant incident, but did briefly close a runway for about 20 minutes, delaying several commercial flights.
According to multiple reports, the issue is minor and likely will not require a special team to be flown out for the UK and U.S., which had been necessary with the F-35B that was forced to divert to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India.
Let The Mockery Continue
The Royal Navy warship, which is leading the international Carrier Strike Group 2025 (CSG25), was meant to showcase the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific. It is just the second time this century that a British aircraft carrier has sailed to the region, following that of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021.
Yet, instead of being an opportunity to show the flag, it has marred and is now largely overshadowed by the two incidents. Although minor, with no casualties and no loss of aircraft, it presented an opportunity for Russian and Chinese analysts and military pundits to weigh in, notably on state and social media.
Wang Ya’nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the UK is “struggling to provide adequate maintenance support” for the fifth-generation stealth fighter.
The criticism on social media was even more direct; with Sputnik India writing on X that HMS Prince of Wales was “Collecting emergency landings like souvenirs,” while @InsideHindustan offered, “WORLD’S BEST JET… REALLY?”
Dr. Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, suggested that this commentary shouldn’t be taken that seriously.
“Because social media allows anyone to post anything –especially now that social media companies have moved away from regulating any content on their platforms – we can see an increase in efforts like this. People may have multiple motivations for sharing derision, misinformation, anger, or whatever content it is, and financial motivations are certainly going to be part of that,” Lampe explained in an email. “It’s not clear how much coordination there is in that messaging, but coordination is certainly possible.”
Another War Of Words
The commentary also comes as Paris recently accused Beijing of spreading misinformation about its Dassault Rafale following the border flare-up between India and Pakistan in May. At least one of the Indian Air Force’s French-made Rafales was shot down by a Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missile, and New Delhi has acknowledged it underestimated the capabilities of the missile that was fired by a Pakistani J-15 fighter jet.
However, Chinese officials used the incident to badmouth the Rafale, and state-backed commentators were vocal on Chinese social media, also casting shade on the Dassault omnirole fighter. Beijing has not so subtly encouraged its online open-source analysts to share their thoughts.
Last November, Chinese social media was especially critical of Russia’s Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon) when the aircraft arrived in advance of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
It is therefore not surprising that there is now criticism directed at the F-35.
“Unfortunately, in today’s hyper-connected media environment, negative PR cycles like this are almost inevitable for high-profile defense programs. A single incident can be amplified globally within hours, especially when it involves flagship assets like the F-35 and when geopolitical rivals are eager to seize on it for propaganda,” said Angeli Gianchandani, global brand strategist and adjunct instructor of marketing and public relations at New York University and a graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
The Chinese and Russian mockery also lacks the originality of that of the Kerala Tourism Board, which shared an AI-generated image of the F-35 as tourist giving the region five stars and suggesting, “Kerala is such an amazing place I don’t want to leave.”
What Does It Mean For Lockheed Martin?
This is also just the latest in “bad press” for the F-35, following the announcement that NATO ally Spain and neutral Switzerland have both announced a decision to look to other options besides the Lightning II. Lockheed Martin also had to overcome the blowback after an F-35 crashed in California last month near Naval Air Station Lemoore and from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in late January.
“For Lockheed Martin, the key factors here are track record, transparency, and customer trust,” suggested Gianchandani. “While repeated incidents in close succession can create perception challenges, the F-35 program is deeply entrenched across allied forces, with significant sunk costs, interoperability benefits, and political capital invested. That makes it more resilient to short-term image hits than a consumer-facing brand.”
Getting that F-35B in Japan back in the air, or at least on the carrier, will be a good step in the right direction.
“Lockheed can weather the storm,” added Gianchandani. “But success depends on managing the cultural and geopolitical narrative as much as the technical fix, ensuring these are seen as operational anomalies rather than systemic issues.”