U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Quantico, Virginia, U.S., September 30, 2025. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS
A U.S. military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was forced to declare an emergency, a Pentagon official said.
According to Assistant to the Secretary of Public Affairs Sean Parnell, the incident occurred as Hegseth was returning from NATO's Defense Ministers meeting on Wednesday.
"Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield," Parnell confirmed on X. "The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe."
