Israel’s military said on Thursday it was testing its fleet of F-35 fighters after receiving findings from US investigators that a different model of the plane had a fuel systems flaw.
The military, on Twitter, stopped short of saying the Israeli F-35s had been grounded, describing them as remaining on operational standby.
A Pentagon spokesperson said earlier Thursday that all US and international F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin Co had been grounded so that fuel tubes can be examined.
Israel’s military said its air force chief Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin “decided to exercise extreme caution” and test all the F-35s, “even though this was not the model used by the Israeli Air Force and that no failures have been found in the planes.”
It said it expected the examination to last a few days, after which the F-35s would return to full operation, stressing that “if it is required to operate, the F-35 Adirs are ready and prepared.”
The move comes following the crash of a Marine F-35B in South Carolina last month, which according to the investigation found that a technical failure in a fuel pipe in the engine led to the accident.
Israel has, for now, agreed to purchase a total of 50 F-35 fighters, which are scheduled to be delivered in installments of twos and threes by 2024.
The jet has been lauded as a “game-changer” by the Israeli military, not only for its offensive and stealth capabilities, but for its ability to connect its systems with other aircraft and form an information-sharing network.
