The Commander of the Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, held a special situation assessment this evening (Saturday) following information received from the US, according to which a defect was found in the ejection mechanism in the pilot's seats in the F-35 aircraft and it will be grounded for training flights.
According to a statement from the IDF spokesperson, the aircraft manufacturer assumed that in order to ensure the integrity of the escape seats, an inspection is required to ensure the integrity of the component.
At the end of the assessment of the situation, the commander of the Air Force ordered a general inspection of the "Adir" aircraft before the first flight.
This is a process that will be carried out by the technical teams and will be completed in the coming days.
The commander of the Air Force emphasized that "the tests must be carried out in a strict and thorough manner in order to restore the system to full capability while maintaining a high safety standard. The Israeli Air Force is part of a global system of countries that operate this type of aircraft and works in cooperation with its counterparts and the manufacturers, and this in order to meet to an extremely strict standard, designed to maintain the safety of the air crews in training and operational activities."
The IDF emphasizes that "operational missions that will be required from the 'Adir' formation until the end of the SDAK inspection will be subject to the individual approval of the corps commander."
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