--- title: "A US Military Fighter Jet Accidentally Shot Itself With a Gatling Gun" description: "A Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet had its Gatling gun discharge a 25mm armor piercing high explosive round causing at least $2.5 million in damages." date: "2021-03-25" modified: "2021-03-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/military-fighter-jet-shot-itself" categories: - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "f-35" - "marine corps" - "Navy" - "the digest" --- # A US Military Fighter Jet Accidentally Shot Itself With a Gatling Gun ![A Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet had its Gatling gun discharge a 25mm armor piercing high explosive round causing at least $2.5 million in damages.]() *\Image: Robert Sullivan\* ## Self Own The most expensive weapon ever built, an F-35B fighter jet, accidentally shot itself while flying over Arizona earlier this month. The jet, which costs around $135.8 million each, had an externally mounted Gatling gun discharge a 25mm armor piercing high explosive incendiary round into itself, causing at least $2.5 million in damage, [a military official confirmed to *Military.com*](). During a nighttime air support mission, the round exploded shortly after leaving the fighter's cannon. Both the pilot and the jet landed safely. "The mishap did not result in any injury to personnel, and an investigation of the incident is currently taking place," Marine Corps spokesman Andrew Wood told *Military.com*. ## Big Oops The incident was labeled Class A, which is the most severe classification, indicating at least $2.5 million of damages or the complete loss of an aircraft. It's still unclear what caused the ammunition to be released and discharge. The cannon itself has a capacity of 220 rounds and can fire at up to 3,300 rounds per minute, according to *Military.com*. The F-35B is a highly advanced fighter jet capable of short takeoff and vertical landings, but its development has been plagued with problems since manufacturing began in 2006, as [*Vice* points out](). The total F-35 program has cost an [estimated $1 trillion]() over the years and encountered numerous hiccups, including an incident last year when a jet "rolled, caught fire, and was completely destroyed,” according to an Air Force [accident report](). The latest snafu is yet another unfortunate event, especially considering the gargantuan costs — which end up being footed by taxpayers — involved. **READ MORE:** [Marine Corps F-35B in Arizona Damaged by Round Discharged from Jet Cannon]() \[*Military.com*\] **More on fighter jets:** *[The Air Force Just Let an AI Take Over Systems of a Military Jet]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()