Israel is testing its fleet of F-35 fighter jets after receiving findings from U.S. investigators that a different model of the plane had a fuel systems flaw, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.
The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the U.S. was grounding its Lockheed Martin-made fleet of F-35 fighter jets so their fuel tubes can be examined. The move comes weeks after one of the jets crashed in South Carolina.
Israel, Britain and other allies who have bought the F-35 from American manufacturers must also ground and inspect the fuel tubes in the jets, the statement said.
The IDF posted on Twitter, "An investigation into the F-35B crash in South Carolina revealed the cause of the crash to be a technical malfunction in the engine's fuel tube. The Israeli Air Force has halted all F-35I flights until all aircraft are tested."
An Israeli defense official stopped short of saying the Israeli F-35s had been grounded, describing them as "remaining on operational standby."
The IDF later said Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin had "decided to exercise extreme caution" and test all the F-35s, "even though this was not the model used by the IAF and that no failures have been found in the planes."
The tests will likely take a few days, after which the F-35s will return to full operation, the military said.
