Problem with the Swiss fighter jet “Blitz II” still not solved: the F-35 must return during thunderstorms

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Storm? Too dangerous for what the American defense company Lockheed Martin calls ‘the deadliest fighter jet in the world’. In addition, the F-53A Lightning II – ‘Blitz II’, as the aircraft is officially called – has to fly around Blitzen due to technical problems.

The report made headlines three years ago. But as the “Tages-Anzeiger” reports, the problem with the aircraft, for which the Swiss army signed the purchase contract last year, has still not been resolved. Lockheed Martin recently announced that it could lift flight restrictions last summer. But a year later they still exist.

The F-35 must not approach thunderstorms within a radius of 40 kilometers, otherwise the aircraft risks catching fire. The reason for this is damage to a system that protects the machine against lightning.

It is unclear whether the problem will be resolved by 2027

The first jets ordered by Switzerland will be delivered in Switzerland in 2027. Will Switzerland get a fair-weather plane? When asked by the Tages-Anzeiger, neither Lockheed Martin nor the US government would promise that the problem would be solved by then. The newspaper quotes the defense company as saying they are working on a “redesign” of the affected system, but that there is no detailed installation plan yet. It is still too early to say in which configuration the device will be delivered in four years.

The Ministry of Defense led by federal councilor Viola Amherd (61) currently has confidence. Three years ago it downplayed the problems for Blick. It is now said that the restrictions could be lifted “until extradition to Switzerland or shortly thereafter”. There is regular contact with Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office (JPO), an American agency responsible for flight restrictions. The current restrictions are a “precautionary measure” for training operations.

Not the only flaw

In recent years, the F-35 has repeatedly attracted attention with its defects and malfunctions. There were reports of problems with the air pressure in the cockpit, false alarms, engine problems, air bubbles in the coating or an inaccurate on-board gun. Many of these shortcomings were already known when the Swiss army was looking for a successor to the outdated F/A-18 jets. They did not stop the Federal Council and Parliament from ultimately purchasing 36 F-35 aircraft for more than 6 billion francs. (lha)

Source:Blick