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Title: Cracks in the armor? Another F-35 fighter jet catches fire in US
Source: [None]
URL Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/360510-f35-jet-catches-fire/
Published: Sep 25, 2016
Author: staff
Post Date: 2016-09-25 02:09:50 by Tatarewicz
Keywords: None
Views: 68
Comments: 6

RT... Another F-35A fighter jet - touted as the future of military aviation - caught fire during an exercise at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the US Air Force has confirmed.

An investigation has been launched into what caused the fire, which was located in "the aft section of the aircraft," according to a statement from the Air Force.

The jet was one of seven F-35As dispatched from Luke AFB, one of the bases responsible for joint strike fighter pilot instruction, as part of surface-to-air training at Mountain Home between September 10 and 24.

No injuries have been reported, but questions are being raised as to whether the fire may have originated in the F-35's F135 engine, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney, as was the case in 2014.

Looks like the source of F-35 fire is still unclear, but just this week Gen. Bogdan said: "We don’t talk about engine fires anymore." — Yasmin Tadjdeh (@YasminTadjdeh) September 24, 2016

This is the latest hiccup for the $1.12 trillion project and comes only a week after the US Air Force revealed it was grounding 13 F-35s and was pausing production of 42 more, blaming “improper manufacturing processes.”

Poorly built insulation material being used in the construction of the warplanes is said to be “crumbling” into fuel tanks, according to a statement from the US Air Force.

USAF to ground over a dozen F-35 jets, citing poor manufacturing & ‘crumbling’ material t.co/UxVlL8Q5N6pic.twitter.com/cLsmflSjKz — RT America (@RT_America) September 16, 2016

A 2015 report into a fire that destroyed an F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in June 2014, which resulted in the grounding of the entire fleet of the fifth generation fighter jet for almost a month, found the fire was caused by “catastrophic engine failure.”

The damage was estimated to be more than $50 million.

READ MORE: F-35 fleet grounded for the eighth time over unknown engine issue

US lawmakers used the 2014 incident to highlight issues with the overall F-35 program. The fire also reignited a discussion on Capitol Hill of whether a competitor to the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine should be restarted.

The F-35 joint program office has repeatedly expressed confidence that the cause of the fire is isolated and has been repaired.

Another setback for America's disastrous $1trillion+ F-35 fighter programme: radar software glitch t.co/teUQtY2Fmj — Richard Wellings (@RichardWellings) March 8, 2016

Military industrial complex now in full swing. 46 US states have jobs tied into F-35 fighter programmet.co/6wELVwIJgn — Scowling Owl (@MobyPaul) October 26, 2015

The single-engine, fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet may well be the largest single global defense program in history.

Of the original nine partner countries - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway,Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States – six have received their first jets.

Two of the three foreign military sales (FMS) customers, Israel and Japan, have taken delivery of their aircraft while South Korea will receive their first jets in 2018.

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#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)

The F-35 seems to be a military industrial complex dream come true.

The all-in-one jet fighter/bomber is a boondoggle. I think the future will be in a variety of smaller, simpler cheaper disposable drones that are each dedicated to single tasks.

Modern fighter jets can take out 6 or 8 aerial targets with missiles, but then they are out of ammo. What if a 135 million dollar fighter jet is up against 20 dogfighting drones, each of which is cheaper than the missiles used to shoot them down?

Pinguinite  posted on  2016-09-25   3:11:13 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: Pinguinite, Tatarewicz (#1)

The F-35 seems to be a military industrial complex dream come true.

The all-in-one jet fighter/bomber is a boondoggle. I think the future will be in a variety of smaller, simpler cheaper disposable drones that are each dedicated to single tasks.

Modern fighter jets can take out 6 or 8 aerial targets with missiles, but then they are out of ammo. What if a 135 million dollar fighter jet is up against 20 dogfighting drones, each of which is cheaper than the missiles used to shoot them down?

One can only hope that if pilots see themselves about to be swarmed on RADAR, that they "advance to the rear" post-haste.

Better to retire and save the aircraft so it can be used to bomb peaceful villages.

Regarding the problem of engine fires, I don't know if the fuel lines are secured with flared lines and nuts, or SWAGE-LOK or Parker swaged ferrules and fittings. But whatever is used, if a supervisor doesn't double check a mechanics' work, perhaps with a torque wrench, then it could lead to disaster.

I have more faith in PRATT & WHITNEY than the military's selection and training of volunteer forces.

BEWARE THE Gee-COWS (GLOBAL CAPITALIST OWL WORSHIPERS)

HOUNDDAWG  posted on  2016-09-25   5:10:09 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: HOUNDDAWG (#2)

I have more faith in PRATT & WHITNEY than the military's selection and training of volunteer forces.

True...

During Korean thing, we called them the "Dixie cup boys".

Oil leaks were "fixed" by sloshing the cowlings with dixie cups of gunk and rags. We made a deal with the crew chief, we dont write up chickenshit things in Form 1, you fix major problems or you go with us anytime we say. Much better for all concerned.

Cynicom  posted on  2016-09-25   6:04:33 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Tatarewicz (#0)

tax dollars well spent.

______________________________________

Suspect all media / resist bad propaganda/Learn NLP everyday everyway ;) If you don't control your mind someone else will.

titorite  posted on  2016-09-25   6:47:11 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: Pinguinite (#1)

+1 Furthermore, drones can handle high speeds and G's better than human piloted jets.

Obnoxicated  posted on  2016-09-25   10:37:21 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: Obnoxicated (#5)

There is a good reason why the military pays good flight pay.

Not because you are smarter than anyone else, rather because you are stupid enough to risk your life for a few bucks, flying an accident waiting to happen.

Cynicom  posted on  2016-09-25   11:25:15 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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