US stealth fighter 'dead' because of... bees

Despite being dubbed the world's best stealth fighter, a US Air Force F-22 Raptor was unable to operate because it was swarmed by tens of thousands of bees.

The $150 million F-22 Raptor was temporarily grounded at Langley-Eustis Air Force Base in Virginia after a maintenance team discovered a giant beehive clinging to the outside of the aircraft's exhaust, CNN reported.

Sergeant Jeffrey Baskin, captain of the 192nd Maintenance Squadron, said he was as shocked as everyone else because “it looked like a cloud of bees, tens of thousands of them.”

“But I know they won't sting anyone and are just looking for a new place to live,” Baskin said.

Understanding the role of these insects in the ecosystem, Baskin came up with the idea of ​​calling a honey bee expert to "capture" them.

After consulting with an entomologist, the maintenance team called Andy Westrich, a beekeeper and former US Navy veteran.

According to Andy Westrich, this is one of the largest beehives he has ever seen. It weighs 3.6kg, equivalent to nearly 20,000 bees.

Mr Westrich also said that these bees may have used the fighter jet as a place to rest before continuing their journey in the morning, or they decided to build a nest on the plane's engine.

The giant beehive was moved intact to a local brewery, where the honey will be used in the beer making process.

“Most of our crops depend on bees. Some plants won’t pollinate without them. That’s why we need to save the bees instead of killing them,” said Sergeant Baskin.

According to Vietnamnet