By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — The F-35 program has had a rough couple weeks, including a ground fire during training and a supply issue that led the US Air Force to suspend flight operations for 15 F-35As. But the service’s top general said he is not worried that the recent problems could impact the future of the program.
"I would have concerns if I didn't feel like we had the right folks or the right plan,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said Tuesday after a panel at the Association of the US Army conference. “But I think because I think we have both of those in place, I'm very confident that we're going to be getting this fixed."
On Sept. 16, the Air Force announced that it had paused flight operations for 15 F-35As that were found to have faulty coolant line insulation, which had started — in some cases — to begin peeling. The service was worried that debris in the fuel tank could lead to a change in pressure, causing structural damage. A total of 42 other jets in various stages of production were found to have the same problem.
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