A U.S. F-16 fighter jet belonging to the U.S. Army crashed in western Germany

🔸The U.S. Army announced on Tuesday, 31 Shahrivar, that an American F-16 fighter jet belonging to a unit based at Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany crashed during a flight.

🔸In a statement, the U.S. Army said the pilot of the fighter jet successfully ejected from the aircraft on an emergency basis and is currently under medical care.

🔸According to the statement, the cause of the incident is under investigation, and rescue forces are present at the crash site.

🔸Spangdahlem Air Base hosts the “52nd Fighter Wing,” which provides the air power and necessary support for NATO operations in Europe and beyond.

🔸In October 2019, an American Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a routine training flight near this base. Before the aircraft collided with the ground, the pilot managed to eject.

🔸The U.S. Air Force has been present in Spangdahlem since the mid-1950s. Along with the Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern, this base is considered one of the most important airports used by the U.S. Army in Germany.

🔸During Donald Trump’s first presidential term, plans were discussed to withdraw U.S. forces from this base, but the U.S. government did not carry them out and halted those plans in 2021.