Israel has grounded 11 of its advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets, the country’s air force said on Sunday, following an accident in the U.S. which included the marine version of the particular aircraft having crashed during a test flight earlier this month.
The military said the fighter jets would be checked for a similar issue to the one that caused the U.S. crash, and as per the recommendations of the F-35 Joint Program Office.
“From the findings and the information given, it was found that these planes require a dedicated inspection in order to rule out the possibility of a repeated malfunction in the Israeli array,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was quoted as saying by local media outlets.
An F-35B crashed on a runway at a U.S. Navy base in Texas on Dec. 15, reportedly during a test of its hovering capabilities being conducted by the manufacturing company, Lockheed Martin. The pilot ejected safely and was unharmed.
The F-35I, the Israeli version of the F-35, is based on the F-35A, with a conventional take-off and landing system. The B-variant, used by the U.S. Marine Corps and other navies, allows for short take-off and vertical landing on aircraft carriers.
The Israeli military, earlier this year, had grounded its entire F-35 fleet for a week over an issue concerning ejector seats. Israel has agreed to purchase at least 50 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin until 2024, and 36 aircraft have been delivered so far.
