F-35 memes go viral as US military searches for missing jet

The United States military managed to lose an F-35 fighter jet and the missing plane has become an instant meme.

On Sunday 17 September, the $80 million F-35 military jet went missing after the pilot ejected from the cockpit during a “mishap” and the plane remained on auto-pilot.

The pilot abandoned the plane somewhere over South Carolina and safely landed in a neighbourhood in North Charleston. The plane itself remained airborne and on auto-pilot for some time, making it difficult for the authorities to locate it.

Officials have now reportedly found the debris from the wreckage of the Marine Corps jet in a South Carolina field.

It follows a day-long search in which the military asked for the public's help to locate it, causing quite a stir on social media. Pretty quickly, people came up with hilarious memes about the plane’s disappearance.

One person joked: “Can’t wait to see the new @TomCruise documentary about the F-35 - ‘Lost Gun’.”

Someone else said: “It was an $80 million F-35 that they publicly asked if anyone had seen ffs.”

Officials have requested that members of the public stay away from the crash site as they investigate what happened.

In a statement, officials said: “Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field.

“The mishap is currently under investigation, and we are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process. We would like to thank all of our mission partners, as well as local, county, and state authorities, for their dedication and support throughout the search and as we transition to the recovery phase.”

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