Military

Pentagon Grounds F-35 Jet Fleet For Fuel Tube Inspections

According to a statement from the Defense Department, the aircraft are being inspected for potentially faulty engine tubes.

Pentagon Grounds F-35 Jet Fleet For Fuel Tube Inspections
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SMS

The Pentagon's fleet of F-35 fighter jets has been temporarily grounded.

According to a statement from the Defense Department obtained by multiple media outlets Thursday, the aircraft are being inspected for potentially faulty engine tubes.

If any of the jets has the problematic engine tubes, they will be removed and replaced. The inspections are expected to be wrapped up in the next two days.

The move comes nearly two weeks after an F-35 jet crashed in South Carolina. The inspection was prompted by initial findings from the ongoing investigation into the crash.

The F-35 has run into its share of problems, including faulty ejection seats and software issues. But a U.S. defense official told CNN this was the first time one of the jets had crashed.