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| The Pentagon Still Enforces Lightning Limits For Operational F-35A Lightning II |
Washington - The United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) has still not lifted the lightning hazard restrictions on operational F-35A Lightning II. As is well known, in June 2020, the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has imposed operational restrictions for the F-35A (version for the air force) in the lightning flight area. This was enforced after a damaged main lightning protection tube was found in the Onboard Inert Gas Generation System (OBIGGS) component.
Air Force Times reported that early in 2022 JPO had cleared the F-35A to start flying again within 25 miles (40 km) of lightning after testing the OBIGGS system fix. However, after assessing the hardware and software upgrades, JPO recommends that flight restrictions in lightning areas remain in place.
"Due to additional findings earlier this year, the upgrade will indeed provide an improvement, but not enough to remove the lightning limitation," JPO F-35 Spokesman Matthew Olay told Breaking Defense.
He added that the lightning restrictions would be lifted when all safety issues had been reasonably resolved or mitigated. “JPO continues to take steps to address all lightning restriction issues through all available means. Lightning restrictions will be lifted when all safety issues are reasonably resolved or mitigated," he said.
The F-35 relies on OBIGGS to fly safely in thunderstorms or other conditions where there is lightning. This system renders the jet fuel tanks inert by pumping nitrogen-enriched air inside, preventing the aircraft from exploding if the tanks are struck by lightning.
Although flight restrictions remain in place (and F-35 pilots avoid training in thunderstorms), there have been cases where F-35 pilots have experienced flying in bad weather and been struck by lightning.
As of late January 2022, F-35 units across the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy have reported 15 lightning strikes causing damage to airborne F-35s, reported the Air Force Times.
On August 3, 2021, lightning struck the F-35 during flight, damaging the jet's canopy and panels on the fuselage. The pilot was uninjured, but the USAF classified the event as a Class B accident, with an estimated repair cost of $600,000 – $2.5 million.