The gritty details of the F-35’s development and its failings is enough to make anyone’s head spin. At an F-35 briefing on Feb. 11, the joint strike fighter’s figurative downward spiral became this Air Force official’s very literal dizzy spell.

Maj. Gen. James Martin, the Air Force’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, was answering questions about the future and budget of the F-35 when he fainted mid-sentence. Reporters laughed nervously as Martin lurched forward and Assistant Air Force Secretary Carolyn Gleason rushed to his side to support him.

As solemn aides help lower Martin into a chair, Gleason tried to brush off the incident with good humor. “That’s what the F-35 will do to ya,” she quipped before making a face at the camera.

https://youtu.be/mDtBjiq3d_s

Never have truer words been spoken at an F-35 press conference. The day before the briefing, the Pentagon released a scathing report describing the technical issues plaguing the fighter jet. According to the report, the main problem is that in the rush to push the F-35 into the field, developers haven’t taken the time to correct glaring flaws.

“Each new version of software, while adding some new capability, failed to resolve all the deficiencies identified in earlier releases,” the report said.

When faced with the task of explaining why the military is spending trillions on an underperforming aircraft, it’s no wonder that Martin lost consciousness for a moment. That’s what the F-35 will do to ya.

After coming to, Martin was brought to a rest room and then to the hospital for a check up. Meanwhile, Gleason took over the F-35 briefing.

According to the Air Force Times, Martin was only suffering a cold. He is already back to work.