F-35 fighters grounded, Wright-Patterson AFB uncertain

WPAFB, Ohio (WDTN) - The Pentagon grounded its fleet of F-35 fighter jets Friday.

A Pentagon spokesperson says a cracked engine blade was found on a plane during a routine inspection  at Edwards Air Force Base in California.  The plane is an F-35A, the Air Force version of the new aircraft.

The Pentagon grounded the entire fleet as a precaution.  Officials said it is too early to know the full impact of the problem.

We did some checking about the F-35 program.  A spokesman at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base told 2 NEWS that the base does have a small joint program office that supports the F-35.  No word yet on whether it will be affected.  There are currently no F-35 fighters at WPAFB.  WPAFB says the majority of the F-35 program is located at Pax River Naval Air Station in Maryland.

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program.  It costs nearly $400-billion.

The Navy and Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which is intended to replace aging fighters.

A total of 51 planes are grounded until more extensive evaluations are made about the cracking problem.  None of the planes are combat-ready.  They are all undergoing testing.