{"id":15384,"date":"2022-07-29T18:51:24","date_gmt":"2022-07-29T18:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/29\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:20:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:20:55","slug":"air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/07\/29\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force grounds F-35As as ejection seat issue threatens fighter jets worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force\u2019s F-35A Lightning II fleet is the latest to stand down amid concerns about defective ejection seat parts on a wide range of military aircraft at home and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Combat Command grounded the advanced fighters Friday in order to speed up inspections of ejection seat cartridges, the part that explodes to propel an aviator out of the cockpit and prompts their parachute to open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inspections began July 19, nearly a week before the Navy said it began shipping replacement parts to its own maintenance centers with planes affected by the problem. It\u2019s unclear when the military first learned of the defective cartridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/07\/28\/hundreds-of-air-force-training-planes-grounded-over-ejection-seat-concerns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q75-2-2.jpg-2.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hundreds of Air Force training planes grounded over ejection seat concerns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The service has stopped flying 203 T-38 Talons and 76 T-6 Texan IIs that may be affected by defective ejection seat parts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Combat Command aims to finish checking the seats within 90 days, or by mid-October, spokesperson Alexi Worley said in a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2022\/07\/air-force-grounding-f-35s-over-ejection-seat-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\">first reported by Breaking Defense<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBased on data gathered from those inspections, ACC will make a determination to resume operations,\u201d Worley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though ACC owns most of the Air Force\u2019s more than 300 F-35As, some are managed by other major commands like U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces. Command spokespeople did not respond to emailed queries Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/07\/19\/lockheed-touts-handshake-deal-with-pentagon-for-next-three-lots-of-f-35s\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Lockheed, Pentagon strike deal for next three lots of F-35s<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cWe really, really need those Block 4 capabilities,\u201d Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said Saturday. \u201cAnd so we want to make sure that the contract accomplishes that, and it will.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cartridge problem came to light during an F-35 inspection, according to an unconfirmed summary of a briefing within the Air Force\u2019s Air Education and Training Command obtained by Air Force Times. Service officials did not respond to requests to confirm or deny the summary\u2019s narrative of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An ejection cartridge felt suspiciously light and, after a closer look, turned out to be missing its explosive charge that would lift someone to safety. The military had tested 2,700 F-35 ejection seat cartridges and discovered three failures as of Wednesday, the briefing summary said. It did not specify which service\u2019s version of the fighter had the defective seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Martin-Baker\u2019s Mk16 ejection seats are used on all F-35 variants, the T-6 and T-38 trainer aircraft, NATO\u2019s Eurofighter Typhoon and France\u2019s Dassault Rafale fighters, and other aircraft flown by Turkey and South Korea. The company has not answered a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.K. Royal Air Force also stopped \u201cnon-essential\u201d flights for its Red Arrows jets and Typhoon warplanes after a safety concern arose with its ejection seats, the Daily Mail <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-11040091\/RAF-stops-non-essential-flights-amid-fears-ejector-seats-Typhoons-Red-Arrows-DONT-work.html\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither the F-35 Joint Program Office nor NATO\u2019s Allied Air Command responded to queries emailed Friday about the potential impact on the international fighter enterprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/07\/27\/navy-and-marine-corps-replacing-faulty-aircraft-ejection-seat-components\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Truman.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Navy and Marine Corps replacing faulty aircraft ejection seat components<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">No injuries or deaths have been reported due to the issue, according to the Navy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Platforms like the Navy\u2019s F\/A-18 are outfitted with earlier Martin-Baker seat designs, as well. The sea service has grounded portions of its F\/A-18B\/C\/D Hornet and F\/A-18E\/F Super Hornet, E\/A-18G Growler electronic attack and T-45 Goshawk and F-5 Tiger II training fleets for the same cartridge problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naval Air Systems Command has declined to say how many aircraft are affected, citing operational security concerns. The issue \u201conly affects aircraft equipped with [cartridge actuated devices] within a limited range of lot numbers,\u201d the service said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy said no one has died or been injured because of the defects; the Air Force has stressed its groundings are a precaution to get ahead of any fatalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">F-35 Joint Strike Fighters are the Pentagon\u2019s premier fighter jet flown by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, plus more than a dozen foreign countries that have ordered or received them. In April, the Government Accountability Office reported it will cost more than $1.7 trillion for the Pentagon to buy, operate and maintain the jets in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/02\/03\/air-force-to-upgrade-f-35a-gas-tanks-to-weather-lightning-strikes\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-2-5.jpg-5.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force to upgrade F-35A gas tanks to weather lightning strikes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lightning struck an F-35A in midair in an undisclosed incident on Aug. 3, 2021, Air Force Times has learned.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed Martin plans to build more than 3,000 F-35s for militaries around the globe. More than 800 planes have been delivered so far over the past 15 years, over half of which belong to the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joint Strike Fighters were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2022\/01\/06\/south-korea-grounds-f-35a-fleet-after-belly-landing\/\" target=\"_blank\">last publicly grounded in South Korea<\/a> in January after one of the country\u2019s jets malfunctioned and landed on its belly. Before that, the U.S. grounded all of its F-35s worldwide over fuel tube problems, among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/12\/08\/f-35-helmets-that-fix-green-glow-are-on-their-way-but-not-to-the-air-force\/\" target=\"_blank\">a slew of other software and hardware hurdles<\/a> to the fleet\u2019s rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same day as ACC began probing its ejection seats, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2022-07-19\/troubled-f-35-risks-more-groundings-on-lack-of-working-engines#xj4y7vzkg\" target=\"_blank\">Bloomberg reported <\/a>some F-35s could be grounded for a separate problem: an enduring shortage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2022\/07\/15\/the-f-35-engine-is-at-a-crossroads-with-billions-of-dollars-for-industry-at-stake\/\" target=\"_blank\">working engines<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nine percent of F-35s weren\u2019t operational in mid-2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-22-104678\" target=\"_blank\">GAO said in a July 19 report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDOD\u2019s strategy allows 6% of F-35s to be unavailable for missions at any given time due to engine issues,\u201d the federal watchdog wrote. \u201cBut the number of F-35s that this leaves available for operations isn\u2019t what the military services consider to be sufficient \u2026 in part because its strategy doesn\u2019t ensure enough spare engine parts are available.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Air Combat Command aims to finish checking its F-35As for faulty ejection seats by mid-October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":34275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,24,88,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3392],"class_list":["post-15384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"5ME5DPZ3MJDX5J6X3PLZ75NLCQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/07\/29\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Force grounds F-35As as ejection seat issue threatens fighter jets worldwide - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Air Combat Command aims to finish checking its F-35As for faulty ejection seats by mid-October.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Air Force grounds F-35As as ejection seat issue threatens fighter jets worldwide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Air Combat Command aims to finish checking its F-35As for faulty ejection seats by mid-October.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/07\/29\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-07-29T18:51:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T20:20:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. 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Cohen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/29\\\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/29\\\/air-force-grounds-f-35as-as-ejection-seat-issue-threatens-fighter-jets-worldwide\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": 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