--- title: "US Marines Lose $80 Million Stealth Fighter Jet" description: "The Marines have somehow lost an F-35 fighter jet that may have continued to cruise around on autopilot after its human operator was ejected." date: "2023-09-19" modified: "2023-09-19" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/marines-lose-f-35-jet" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "f-35" - "fighter jets" - "marines" - "the digest" --- # US Marines Lose $80 Million Stealth Fighter Jet ![The Marines have somehow lost an F-35 fighter jet that may have continued to cruise around on autopilot after its human operator was ejected.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Missing Impossible US Marines have somehow lost an expensive fighter jet that could still be cruising around on autopilot after its human operator was ejected during what the military branch is calling a "mishap." As [*NBC News*]() and other outlets reported, there's a lot we still don't know about what exactly happened with the roughly [$80 million-per-unit F-35B jet](). Its [pilot was ejected]() somewhere over South Carolina — and its stealth mode is proving to be so effective that even the government straight up doesn't know where the runaway jet is. "The search-and-recovery efforts for the aircraft are ongoing, and we are thankful to the agencies assisting in this effort," Captain Joe Leitner, a spokesperson for the Second Marine Aircraft Wing, the unit responsible for the pilot and the jet, told reporters. "The mishap is currently under investigation." So far, we don't know why pilot Jeremy Huggins yeeted himself out of the uber-expensive jet, but Joint Base Charleston has confirmed that it was in autopilot mode when he did so, per *NBC*. As Joint Base Charleston noted [on Facebook](), the pilot received medical care and was deemed to be in stable condition — though the condition of the jet itself is still unknown. ## Jesus Take the Wheel As *NBC* notes, government authorities say there's reason to believe the plane continued flying without its pilot for quite some time. Earlier today, Joint Base Charleston's X account [tweeted]() that its teams are "using ground and air assets" to locate the jet. Mysteriously, Huggins would not reveal to reporters why he self-ejected. He did say, however, that more details will be provided soon. Joint Base Charleston has [asked the public]() to call its operations center if they have potential information about the F-35's whereabouts. On the whole, it's a pretty ironic situation, given that taxpayers footed the bill for the expensive fighter jet and the stealth technology that appears to have made it impossible to find. Let's hope Huggins is reunited with his absconding jet soon — that is, if there's anything left of it. **More on jets:** [*Boeing CEO Caught Commuting by Private Jet*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()