Entire F35 fleet grounded by engine crack - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#14179584
THE Pentagon says it has grounded its entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine blade.

The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection at Edwards Air Force Base, California, of an Air Force version of the F-35. Other versions of the F-35 are flown by the Navy and the Marine Corps.

All versions were grounded on Friday.

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program at a total estimated cost of nearly $US400 billion ($A392.50 billion).

The suspension of flight operations will remain in effect until an investigation of the problem's root cause is determined.

The Pentagon said the engine in which the problem was discovered was being shipped to a Pratt & Whitney facility for more thorough evaluation.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/br ... 6583998662

I know how difficult it is to manufacture a consistent engine, but somebody is dropping the ball. Simply throwing a seemingly unlimited budget at this is not achieving the required results.
#14179588
Indeed. I can't think of any military use plane that has been this much of a persistent money sink, other than the Nimrod MRA4, which was the crowned prince of budget overruns.

Unlike the MRA4 though, there's no going back, you can't cancel what's already been done. It's just going to have to be fixed, whatever the cost.
#14184169
Yep, since yesterday evening. This scare must've been giving various people around the world something close to a heart attack, since a lot of countries are getting F-35s.

However, budget cuts from the sequestration might affect the USA's ability to even pay for these planes, so they are not out of the woods yet.

EDIT: Oh, I see, they've ringfenced the F-35 and cut everything else in the USAF.

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