Air Force Times reports that the F-35A “could start flying near thunderstorms again soon, once the Air Force finishes upgrading its first jet for extra protection against lightning strikes.” The F-35A was banned “from flying within 25 nautical miles of lightning or thunderstorms after finding that a crucial system may not function correctly if hit by a bolt.” A team making repairs to the F-35A found damage to the Onboard Inert Gas Generation System (OBIGGS), “which injects nitrogen-enriched air into the jet’s fuel tanks.” Faulty inert gas tubes “showed up in more than half of the 24 airframes that were inspected.” Lockheed Martin “has installed an improved version of OBIGGS onto all F-35As delivered since November.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)
Tag: F-35A
UK to Acquire F-35s Capable of Carrying Tactical Nuclear Weapons
Reuters reports, “The British government said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it described as the biggest expansion of its nuclear deterrent in a generation. The purchase of the Lockheed Martin jets would allow Britain’s air force to carry nuclear weapons for the first time since the end of the Cold War, Downing Street said.”
Full Story (Reuters)