A PRECAUTIONARY suspension of flight operations for development and test Lockheed Martin F-35Bs was issued on January 18 by the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO). A similar action was also taken by US Naval Air Systems Command for all production F-35Bs operating at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and at the production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The decision was made as a result of an incident with an F-35B at Eglin AFB, when a propulsion 'fueldraulic' line failed on one of these aircraft. This line enables actuator movement for the F-35B's vectoring exhaust system. Ground operations with the F-35B continued while investigations were under way and flight operations by the F-35A and F-35C variants were unaffected by the decision, as they are not fitted with the fueldraulic line in question. The line that failed uses fuel, rather than traditional hydraulic fluid, to enable the actuator movement, thereby reducing weight. Officials said there had been no previous issues with the component.
