The F-22 Raptor fighter jet had to ‘abort’ its flight after a tire burst

What you need to know: An F-22 Raptor from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron suffered a tire blowout during takeoff at Kadena Air Base, Japan, forcing the aircraft to abort the flight. Although they may seem minor, such accidents can result in substantial damage, potentially costing thousands to millions of dollars.

– Burst tires can damage aircraft if fragments hit critical components. This incident follows a recent precautionary landing of another F-22 at Kadena.

-The base is currently transitioning its aging F-15C/D Eagles with temporary rotations of F-22s and F-16s as it prepares to receive F-15EX Eagle II fighters.

Crazy: F-22 had to abort flight after tire burst

The United States Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor may be the most capable air superiority fighter in service in the world today, but even advanced aircraft can succumb to accidents beyond the control of the pilot or maintainers. That was the case last week when an F-22 was forced to abort its takeoff after a tire burst.

According to TheAviationist, which first reported the incident, the F-22 in question belonged to the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and had been deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, earlier this month.

A video shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, showed the aircraft preparing for takeoff before coming to rest on the runway. Subsequent photos that were also posted on X showed the Raptor limping back onto the track.

Minor but expensive accident

A blown tire on a fighter jet may not seem like a big deal, but it requires more than just lifting the fuselage and putting on a spare tire. Although the US Air Force has not stated the extent of damage the incident may have caused, the damage could range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars!

“Burst tires can cause considerable damage to an aircraft if tire fragments strike any part of it at high speed,” reported Simple Flying.

Several factors can lead to a tire blowout, including runway conditions and even tire wear — although the U.S. Air Force will likely work to resolve both issues, given the cost of the aircraft. However, this is just the latest accident involving one of the air service’s fifth-generation stealth fighters at Kadena in recent weeks.

An F-22 from the 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, was forced to make a “precautionary landing” after an unspecified incident, likely an engine failure.

The F-22 is big in Japan

Earlier this month, Keystone of Pacific welcomed a new rotation of aircraft and personnel as it continues to prepare for the retirement of its aging F-15C/D Eagle aircraft. In addition to the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor air superiority fighters, which flew from the Alaska base, an undisclosed number of F-16 Fighting Falcons multirole fighters flew from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

The Eagles have already started to leave their nest in Kadena. The base is now on track to receive up to thirty-six F-15EX Eagle II multirole fighters over the next few years, but in the meantime it will likely continue to be supported by F-22 Raptors and other fighters deployed from air bases in the US.

Located about 1,400 kilometers from Tokyo, Manila, Seoul and Hong Kong – and 1,900 kilometers west of Guam – Kadena Air Base serves as a critical hub for U.S. military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Along with other air bases and naval installations on Okinawa, the Cornerstone of the Pacific, as the base is known, plays a key role in maintaining regional stability and safeguarding vital sea and air routes.

Author experience and knowledge: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer living in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 articles published over a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly about military equipment, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: (email protected).

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