US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plane ‘safe’ after unscheduled UK landing

In a statement to X, the Pentagon said that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plane made an unplanned landing in England during his flight back to the USA.

The plane carrying Hegseth while returning from NATO’s Defense Minister meeting in Belgium had “a crack in the windshield of the plane.”

“The plane landed according to standard procedures and everyone on board, including Minister Hegseth, is safe,” the government said.

Hegseth later wrote after landing: “All is well. Thank God. Continue the mission!”

The aircraft was off the coast of southern Ireland when it decided to turn back and the Royal Air Force landed at Mildenhall.

Defense ministers met in Belgium on Wednesday to discuss Ukraine’s security.

In February, the government plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also forced to return due to a crack in the cockpit glass.