A US Marine Corps F-18 pilot has died in a crash.

The jet came down on farmland in Cambridgeshire, with the alarm raised at 10:30 BST.

The aircraft had taken off from RAF Lakenheath and crashed four miles from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.

The aircraft was part of a fleet of six fighter jets due to fly to California, the US air force said. The remaining five FA-18 Hornets safely diverted to RAF Lossiemouth airfield in Moray. The aircraft had been en-route from Bahrain and were scheduled to fly to their base in Miramar.

The F-18’s primary missions are fighter escort, fleet air defence, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, air interdiction, close air support and aerial reconnaissance. Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset, though it has been criticised for its lack of range and payload compared to its earlier contemporaries, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the fighter and strike fighter role, and the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II in the attack role.

George Allison
George Allison is the founder and editor of the UK Defence Journal. He holds a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and specialises in naval and cyber security topics. George has appeared on national radio and television to provide commentary on defence and security issues. Twitter: @geoallison

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