MOSCOW, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - The United States military has grounded all F-35 fighter jets after a number of accidents involving the aircraft occurred, Reuters reported Friday.
"Additional inspections of F-35 engines have been ordered, and return to flight will be determined based on inspection results and analysis of engineering data," the Defense Department said, according to the agency.
On June 23, an F-35 caught fire as the pilot attempted to take off at a Florida air base. The cause of the fire hasn't been found yet.
It's the eighth time the entire F-35 fleet has been grounded. The last time also occurred in mid-June, when an engine oil leak forced the military to inspect 104 of its jets. Three of the F-35s failed the test.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive program of the US military. The Defense Ministry will spend almost $400 billion dollars on the 2,443 planes scheduled for purchase but the price of the aircraft may increase due to recurring technical problems and delays. The project is already seven years behind schedule.
