OTOH, maybe we gave the Ukrainians all our radar assets along with the billions... which would make it all okay.
Yeah, that’s where my questions start. First, the notion that ground control didn’t have eyes on even the sneakiest plane on the planet, is just not believeable. Then, when the thing went on the roll, tower flight control had to acknowledge it. One doesn’t get to be sneaky and off the scope when taxiing to the threshold——that would get people killed by the bunch. Tower does not say: plane that I can’t see cleared for takeoff. In every airport I’ve ever landed at flight control goes out at least five miles. If this pilot was trying, by accident or on purpose, to sneak past his own flight control guys the radio screaming should have already started.
Unless, of course, Comrade Milley’s F/C guys are so bleeping woke they don’t want to hurt anybody’s feeling by yelling at them on the radio. In this case the proper pronoun for everyone involved would be “dumbass.”
Then, there is the lack of fire/smoke on the ground, in the woods. I have no idea where the fuel valves might be on an F-35 but, if the pilot has access to one/them it might be that he didn’t turn one on? We already know he didn’t get his transponder/locator on so what else did he miss on his pre-flight check list? Lack of any fire might mean the engine was cold when it hit the trees.