Possible Faulty Part Prompts Pentagon to Ground F-35s

The Pentagon has opted to ground its F-35 fleet after a crash investigation revealed a possible faulty fuel pipe.

The 245 F-35 Joint Strike fighters used by the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Air Force have all been taken off the flight line while the planes are checked for potentially faulty fuel tubes.

“The U.S. services and international partners have temporarily suspended F-35 flight operations while the enterprise conducts a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube within the engine on all F-35 aircraft,” F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe DellaVedova said in a statement.

The Department of Defense has decided to ground all its F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike fighters while their engines are inspected for a faulty part, on Oct. 11, 2018. (U.S. Navy)

“If suspect fuel tubes are installed, the part will be removed and replaced. If known good fuel tubes are already installed, then those aircraft will be returned to flight status. Inspections are expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours,” Military.com reported.

According to CNN, the Air Force has 156 F-35 aircraft in inventory; the Marine Corps has 61 and the Navy has 28.  CNN also reported that F-35s operated by U.S. allies will also undergo inspection.

The Pentagon believes that only older models of the plane have the potentially dangerous part, but all the planes in operation will be inspected. The inspection is estimated to take up to two days.

A new F-35B Lightning fighter jet takes off from the deck of the United Kingdom’s new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 27, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

A new F-35B Lightning fighter jet takes off from the deck of the United Kingdom's new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 27, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Allies Also Checking F-35 Engines

Other countries that use the F-35 in all its variants have also decided to inspect their planes’ fuel pipes.

Israel’s Air Force said on Twitter that the planes were “remaining on operational standby” while they were inspected.

Following an incident where an F-35 type B aircraft crashed two weeks ago in the United States, a technical investigation was held and its findings were shared with the IAF by the U.S. Joint Program Office (JPO).

The findings indicate that the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction in the engine’s fuel pipe.

The commander of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, decided to take additional precautions and conduct tests on all F-35I aircraft, despite the accident having occurred in a model not used by the IAF and although no malfunctions have been found in IAF aircraft.

The testing will take several days and once completed the planes will return to full operations. In the meantime, if the F-35I are required for operational action, the F-35I aircraft are ready and prepared.”

The British Royal Navy recently took possession of some F-35Bs for use with its carrier fleet.

The British Navy has already inspected all its planes and returned them to duty.

Lockheed Martin Corporation, which manufacturers the F-35 Lightning II fighter plane, also issued a statement in connection with the grounding, Military.com reported.

The statement read, in part, “We are actively partnering with the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office, our global customers and Pratt & Whitney to support the resolution of this issue and limit disruption to the fleet.”

Pratt and Whitney makes the F-135 after-burning turbofan engine that powers the F-35.

South Carolina Crash Prompts Inspection

The inspection of the engines used in the F-35 Lightning fighters was prompted by a nonfatal crash that occurred in South Carolina on Sept. 28.

A Marine Corps-operated F-35B, a short take-off/vertical landing model, crashed on Little Barnwell Island, about 5 miles from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in Beaufort, South Carolina at around 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 28, Military.com reported.

The pilot ejected and was not injured. He was evaluated at the scene and taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for a thorough examination before being released.

There were no injuries and no structural damage on the ground at the crash site.

Some have called the F-35 the most expensive weapons program ever, The Epoch Times reported.

Reuters reported on Sept. 28, that Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon have an $11.5 billion contract to produce F-35 planes, lowering the price by more than 5 percent.

“Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program,” said Vice Adm. Mat Winter, head of the Pentagon’s F-35 office.

From NTD.tv