US Navy maintains F-35 jets grounding order

[FAIRFORD, England] The US Navy maintained a grounding order for F-35 B-model and C-model fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, saying that it was still not clear what caused a massive engine failure on an Air Force F-35 jet last month.

The fleetwide grounding order kept three Marine Corps F-35 B-model jets and one British F-35B from travelling to Britain for widely publicised appearances at two air shows. "At this time, I do not have sufficient information to return the F-35B and F-35C fleet to flight," Vice-Admiral David Dunaway, who heads the Navy's Air Systems Command, said in an update to a grounding order issued by US officials on July 3. A copy of the document was obtained by Reuters.

In the document, Vice-Adm Dunaway said that he was committed to returning the F-35 fleet to flight as soon as possible, but there was still "no discernible event that represents a root cause". The memo emerged after a lengthy meeting on Friday of the officials responsible for determining the "airworthiness" of the F-35, according to sources familiar with the matter.