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Israeli Air Force grounds 11 F-35 fighter jets following recommendation from U.S.
The incident that prompted the move took place at a north Texas military base on December 16
Israel's Air Force announced on Sunday that it decided to follow the recommendation of the American Aircraft Production Administration to ground 11 F-35 Type B fighter planes after a recent crash in Texas, U.S.
"From the findings and the information transmitted, it was found that these planes require a dedicated inspection in order to rule out the possibility of a repeated malfunction in the Israeli system," the Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement.
"The Air Force will analyze the findings of the investigation of the incident and recommend how to safely return the planes to flight," the statement added.
The incident that prompted the move took place at a north Texas military base on December 16. The pilot had to eject from a F-35B fighter after a failed landing. Videos shared on social media showed the jet descending vertically onto the runway, briefly touching its wheels to the ground, before the plane's nose dips prompting the crash. The F-35B is capable of taking off and landing vertically, like a helicopter.
Earlier in July, the U.S. military grounded its entire fleet of F-35s urging the Israeli military to announce the evaluation of their aircraft of this model. The safety issue concerned the pilot-ejection mechanism. Israel's Air Force responded by saying it was considering following U.S. colleagues in grounding its entire fleet of F-35 jets.