Israel and Japan will receive the F-35 according to the schedule, all aircraft grounded due to the defective insulation will return to flying within the year. This is what the Joint Program Office communicates.
"Rapid progress has been made in making the first fifteen F-35A operational. Each plane requires three weeks' work".
The JPO does not divide the timing for the 42 fighters that are on the production line treated with the same product: among these also the Italian fighters.
Last September, the Air Force grounded fifteen F-35As after discovering a refrigerant leak inside the fuel tanks. Subsequent investigations confirmed the anomaly identified in the poor quality of the insulation used, in some aircraft already in an advanced state of decomposition.
The Air Force officially confirms the use of the defective insulation in 57 aircraft, 42 of which in production line in Fort Worth, Texas. The defective material was supplied by one of the two subcontractors used by Lockheed Martin. Ten F-35A deployed at the Hill Air Force Base in Utah, four in Luke Air Force Base, Arizona and one at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Two of the four F-35A deployed at Luke's base belong to Norway. The same critical issues were found in all aircraft: the coolant contaminated the fuel.
Identified for the first time during the summer, the problem of defective insulation was the subject of an internal investigation by Lockheed Martin.
In the branch note, Lockheed declares that "the crumbling of the insulation could have occluded the connecting lines between the wings and the fuselage. This could lead to excessive negative pressure in fuel tanks during ground operations or excessive positive during flight. In either case, excessive pressure could cause structural damage to fuel tanks".
The defective insulation was used only in the model A of the F-35. No problems for versions B and C. The JPO reiterates the manufacturing defect and not a technical problem that could affect the performance of the aircraft.
Among the fighters on the production line treated with the faulty insulation include those purchased from Italy, Japan, Norway and Israel.
(photo: Lockheed Martin)
