The Pentagon has grounded a number of newer F-35 Joint Striker Fighters following the recent Texas runway incident, as reported by Defense News. It was confirmed by the F-35 Joint Program Office when it issued a guidance following the incident.
The statement also stated that some F-35s are grounded because they are at higher risk. It's likely that this will be until January. However, it wasn't specified how many F-35s can't fly.
A Horrific Accident in Texas
The crash of the F-35B earlier this month at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas went viral. Lockheed Martin builds most of the F-35s in Fort Worth, and they haven't transferred the new F-35B to the US Government when the crash happened.
The US Air Force pilot who performed quality checks on the F-35B for the Defense Contract Management Agency, saw the fighter hovering not far above the ground in the crash video. The fighter descends, bounces off the ground and tips forward. The nose and right wing of the fighter touched the ground before it spun and the pilot was ejected from the aircraft.
It is not revealed what caused the grounded F-35s to be at higher risk, but a source who is familiar with the program said that the initial assessment found that there is an issue with the propulsion system, which caused to the Texas crash.
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Also, the failure of a tube that is used to transfer high-pressure fuel in the fighter's F135 engine prompted the office to update their safety risk assessments. It is also said that jets that with fewer than 40 hours of flying are also affected.
On the other hand, Lockheed Martin is continuing to work with Navy officials in Fort Worth following the accident. It also stated on its website that it has delivered more than 875 F-35s to the US military and the program's partner nations.
The company's statement said that the F-35 is the world's most advanced multirole stealth fighter and its design includes many safety features. It also claimed that the F-35s are performing well and that the program's safety record is excellent.
Over the years, the Joint Program Office in particular has addressed several issues to ensure the safety of the F-35. These include the release of the final report on the engine failure in the Air Force's F-35A; it also provides the JPO with the data that was collected during the engine failure on the F-35A in June. The JPO also took a number of actions to address the engine failure that occurred earlier this year when the Air Force's F-35A caught fire.
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