USAF grounds 15 F-35s due to avionics cooling line issue

[Zarvan]

The USAF has grounded 13 F-35A aircraft while it investigates the discovery of peeling and crumbling insulation in avionics cooling lines within the jets' fuel tanks. Source: IHS/Kelvin Wong
Key Points

• The USAF has ordered a 'temporary pause' in flight operations for 15 F-35As
• Discovery of 'peeling and crumbling' insulation in avionics cooling lines within the jets' fuel tanks led to the decision

The US Air Force (USAF) has ordered a "temporary pause" in flight operations for 15 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft following discovery of "peeling and crumbling insulation" in avionics cooling lines within the jets' fuel tanks, the service announced on 16 September.

"The issue was discovered during depot modification of an F-35A and affects a total of 57 aircraft," USAF spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an emailed statement.

The grounded aircraft include jets fielded at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. A spokesman for F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin confirmed that two aircraft at Hill belong to Norway. Of the remaining 42 production aircraft affected by the issue, 28 belong to the United States and partner nations, while 14 are Foreign Military Sales (FMS) aircraft.

F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) engineers, Lockheed Martin engineers, and Hill Air Force Base mechanics have inspected eight aircraft and are "developing procedures to resolve or mitigate the issue prior to release of affected production aircraft to the field and the return of affected operational aircraft to flight operations", said Stefanek. "The air force is also working with units to mitigate the impact on operations, training, and readiness."

Only one batch of parts is affected by the issue, according to Lockheed Martin. "This issue was discovered during depot maintenance on one of the impacted jets where loose insulation was discovered," company spokesman Mark Johnson told IHS Jane's. "The issue is confined to one supplier source and one batch of parts." He called it a "supply chain manufacturing quality issue" and said that Lockheed Martin intends to resolve it for the 42 F-35As in assembly prior to delivery.

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http://www.janes.com/article/63907/usaf-grounds-15-f-35s-due-to-avionics-cooling-line-issue

 

[TheNoob]

This jet isnt really on good terms even with the american populace...

Damn.

 

[DavidSling]

8 Israeli aircrafts were effected too

 

[KAL-EL]

This jet isnt really on good terms even with the american populace...

Damn.

At least 100 more F-22s should have been produced.

 

[Mugwop]

At least 100 more F-22s should have been produced.

Or better yet F-16 V's