By AARON MEHTA and NIGEL PITTAWAY
WASHINGTON and AVALON, Australia — Pratt & Whitney (P&W) has completed its inspection into an engine problem that grounded the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet last Friday, a crucial step toward getting the high-tech fighter jet back in the air.
“The F-35 joint program office is currently assessing our recommendation to return the fleet to flight,” Matthew Bates, a P&W spokesman, told Defense News.
Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the JPO, confirmed the program had received Pratt’s recommendations and that DoD experts are reviewing the data.
Three separate bodies must approve a return to flight, according to Hawn. The JPO has responsibility over the test fleet, located at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; the Air Force covers the F-35A models; and Naval Air Systems Command has control over the F-35B collection. Hawn called it a series of “checks and balances” designed to make sure the review was “thorough.”
While DoD officials weigh whether to bring the fleet back online, the Pentagon announced a new deal worth $333,786,000 that will lay the path for an eventual deal on lot 8 of low rate initial production (LRIP). That money is part an advance acquisition contract designed to help Lockheed prepare for manufacturing the eighth batch of fighters.
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