After the US and Israel grounded their F-35 fleets, Lockheed Martin said that it is working to resolve the issue.
By URI BOLLAGUpdated: OCTOBER 14, 2018 19:48An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli air force pilots (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Most F-35 fighter jets in the US and around the world returned to the skies Sunday, according to a statement from the airplanes’ manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.The engines of the planes were inspected and either released for flight or assigned for a fuel pipe replacement, Lockheed Martin said in a statement released to the press.Last week, Israel grounded all of its F-35 Adir stealth fighter jets after the US had grounded its entire fleet.The Pentagon’s move came following the crash of a Marine F-35B in South Carolina last month, which an investigation found had a technical failure in a fuel pipe in the engine that led to the accident.The statement by Lockheed Martin said it was working to resolve the issue and limit the operational disruption of its fleet. The deliveries of F-35 jets, 91 of which are scheduled for this year, would not be impacted.The F-35 program has seen its fair share of problems. In 2016, the United States Air Force grounded 15 F-35s after coolant tube insulation installed in the fuel tanks was falling apart. Lockheed Martin later determined that one of its suppliers had delivered the wrong insulation for the jet.Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.
