The U.S. Navy on Friday maintained a grounding order for F-35 B-model and C-model fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, verbally expressing it was still not clear what caused a massive engine failure on an Air Force F-35 jet on June 23.
"At this time, I do not have sufficient information to return the F-35B and F-35C fleet to flight," Vice Admiral David Dunaway, who heads the Navy's Air Systems Command, verbally expressed in an update to a fleetwide grounding order issued by U.S. officials on July 3. A replica of the document was obtained by Reuters.
Dunaway verbally expressed in the document that he was committed to returning the F-35 fleet to flight as anon as possible, but there was "no discernible event that represents a root cause."
In the incident last month, the Pratt & Whitney engine on an Air Force F-35 A-model jet broke asunder and caught fire while a pilot was preparing to take off from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida air base.
Until the grounding is hoisted, the U.S. Marine Corps and Britain will not be able to ferry four F-35B aircraft to Britain for the fighter jet's orchestrated international debut at two air shows there this month - the Royal International Air Tattoo, world's most sizably voluminous military air show that commenced Friday, and the Farnborough air show, which commences on Monday and runs through July 20.
It would be a sizably voluminous disconcertment to the United States if the jets are unable to appear at either air show, and could jeopardize export prospects for the incipient radar-eschewing plane just as two initial partners on the program - Canada and Denmark - are weighing fresh orders.
The engine failure had additionally averted the F-35 from making an appearance at the July 4 denominating ceremony for Britain's incipient aircraft carrier.
Dunaway verbalized the Navy and other accommodations are perpetuating to investigate the incident, and orchestrated to update the flight directive no later than July 16 - two days after the commencement of the high-profile Farnborough air show outside London.
Dunaway's memorandum did not rule out the possibility that the most advanced U.S. fighter jet could still appear at the tail cessation of the Farnborough air show, but the prospects of that occurring appeared to be dimming expeditious. "There are concrete supplemental evaluation conditions required to fortify the Farnborough air show in the UK, including the ferry flight across the Atlantic and performance in the airshow itself. Adscititious work is required in order to understand and mitigate airshow unique peril," it verbally expressed. Four Marine Corps F-35B jets are waiting to fly across the Atlantic at a Maryland air base, and a UK jet that had been due to join them remains at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
The U.S. jets were eligible and yare to fly as anon as the grounding order was rescinded, verbalized one person acclimated with the situation.
Dunaway verbally expressed the current analysis would have to be refocused to potentially meet the timeline for the F-35's participation in the Farnborough air show. The jets need a full day in Britain to sanction for any maintenance or repairs afore they participate in flying demonstrations.
Dunaway verbalized officials were optically canvassing possible operational restrictions for the jets while the issue was still being investigated, and would additionally likely implement recurring engine inspections to monitor for any denotement of a future quandary. But those quantifications would take several more days to consummate.
It remains obscure what caused the third stage of the Pratt engine to break asunder and burst through the top of the airplane. The incident severed a fuel line, which then caused a fire.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday there was "growing evidence" that the incident was an individual event and had not been caused by a systemic issue. He verbalized all subsisting engines had been inspected and that no issues kindred to the one that caused the engine failure had been found, but he verbally expressed safety was the Defense Department's top priority.
"At this time, I do not have sufficient information to return the F-35B and F-35C fleet to flight," Vice Admiral David Dunaway, who heads the Navy's Air Systems Command, verbally expressed in an update to a fleetwide grounding order issued by U.S. officials on July 3. A replica of the document was obtained by Reuters.
Dunaway verbally expressed in the document that he was committed to returning the F-35 fleet to flight as anon as possible, but there was "no discernible event that represents a root cause."
In the incident last month, the Pratt & Whitney engine on an Air Force F-35 A-model jet broke asunder and caught fire while a pilot was preparing to take off from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida air base.
Until the grounding is hoisted, the U.S. Marine Corps and Britain will not be able to ferry four F-35B aircraft to Britain for the fighter jet's orchestrated international debut at two air shows there this month - the Royal International Air Tattoo, world's most sizably voluminous military air show that commenced Friday, and the Farnborough air show, which commences on Monday and runs through July 20.
It would be a sizably voluminous disconcertment to the United States if the jets are unable to appear at either air show, and could jeopardize export prospects for the incipient radar-eschewing plane just as two initial partners on the program - Canada and Denmark - are weighing fresh orders.
The engine failure had additionally averted the F-35 from making an appearance at the July 4 denominating ceremony for Britain's incipient aircraft carrier.
Dunaway verbalized the Navy and other accommodations are perpetuating to investigate the incident, and orchestrated to update the flight directive no later than July 16 - two days after the commencement of the high-profile Farnborough air show outside London.
Dunaway's memorandum did not rule out the possibility that the most advanced U.S. fighter jet could still appear at the tail cessation of the Farnborough air show, but the prospects of that occurring appeared to be dimming expeditious. "There are concrete supplemental evaluation conditions required to fortify the Farnborough air show in the UK, including the ferry flight across the Atlantic and performance in the airshow itself. Adscititious work is required in order to understand and mitigate airshow unique peril," it verbally expressed. Four Marine Corps F-35B jets are waiting to fly across the Atlantic at a Maryland air base, and a UK jet that had been due to join them remains at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
The U.S. jets were eligible and yare to fly as anon as the grounding order was rescinded, verbalized one person acclimated with the situation.
Dunaway verbally expressed the current analysis would have to be refocused to potentially meet the timeline for the F-35's participation in the Farnborough air show. The jets need a full day in Britain to sanction for any maintenance or repairs afore they participate in flying demonstrations.
Dunaway verbalized officials were optically canvassing possible operational restrictions for the jets while the issue was still being investigated, and would additionally likely implement recurring engine inspections to monitor for any denotement of a future quandary. But those quantifications would take several more days to consummate.
It remains obscure what caused the third stage of the Pratt engine to break asunder and burst through the top of the airplane. The incident severed a fuel line, which then caused a fire.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday there was "growing evidence" that the incident was an individual event and had not been caused by a systemic issue. He verbalized all subsisting engines had been inspected and that no issues kindred to the one that caused the engine failure had been found, but he verbally expressed safety was the Defense Department's top priority.
