F-22 Raptor Fighter Had to 'Abort' Flight After Tire Blowout

What You Need to Know: An F-22 Raptor from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron experienced a tire blowout during takeoff at Kadena Air Base, Japan, forcing the aircraft to abort the flight. Though seemingly minor, such mishaps can result in substantial damage, potentially costing thousands to millions of dollars.

-Tire blowouts can damage aircraft if fragments hit critical components. This incident follows a recent precautionary landing by 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, while preparing to receive F-15EX Eagle II fighters.

Crazy: F-22 Had to Abort Flight After Tire Blowout

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, yet, even advanced aircraft can succumb to mishaps beyond the control of the pilot or maintainers. Such was the case last week when an F-22 was forced to abort its takeoff after a tire blowout.

According to TheAviationist, which first reported the incident, the F-22 in question was from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of 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 it skids to a halt on the runway. Subsequent photos that were also posted on X showed the Raptor limping back to the tarmac.

Minor Mishap But a Pricey One

A blown tire on a fighter may not seem like a huge deal, yet, it requires more than just jacking up the fuselage and putting on a spare. While the U.S. Air Force hasn't stated the extent of the damage that the incident may have caused, the damage could be in the tens of thousands to millions of dollars!

"Burst tires can cause considerable damage to an aircraft if tire fragments hit any part of it at high speeds," Simple Flying reported.

Several factors can lead to a tire blowout, including the condition of the runway and even tire wear – although the U.S. Air Force likely works to address both issues given the cost of the aircraft. However, this is just the most recent mishap 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, the "Keystone of Pacific" welcomed the new rotation of aircraft and personnel, while it continues to prepare for the retirement of its legacy F-15C/D Eagle aircraft. In addition to the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor air superiority fighters, which made the flight from the base in Alaska, an undisclosed number of multirole F-16 Fighting Falcons flew in from Shaw AFB, South Carolina.

The Eagles have already begun to leave the nest at Kadena. The base is now on track to receive as many as thirty-six F-15EX Eagle II multirole fighters over the coming years, but in the meantime will likely continue to be supported by F-22 Raptors and other fighters sent from air bases in the U.S.

Located roughly 900 miles from Tokyo, Manila, Seoul, and Hong Kong – and 1,200 miles west of Guam – Kadena Air Base serves as a critical hub for U.S. military operations in the Indo-Pacifc region. Along with other air bases and naval facilities on Okinawa, the Keystone of the Pacific, as the base is known, plays a pivotal role in maintaining regional stability and safeguarding vital maritime and aerial routes.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, 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: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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