Critical Repair Could Allow Air Force F-35s To Fly Near Lightning Storms
A fix to the F-35's fuel system could solve an issue that has frequently caused delays in production and restricted where the jets can fly.
By Brett Tingley February 3, 2022
The War Zone
f-35-lightning-nellis
The Air Force says the F-35A Lightning II could soon be able to once again operate near thunderstorms or lightning thanks to an upgrade coming to the aircraft’s fuel system. Once all of the jets get the repair, the service’s F-35As could resume unrestricted flight in these weather conditions for the first time in nearly two years.
The fix is for the F-35’s Onboard Inert Gas Generation System, or OBIGGS. This system is designed to inject nitrogen-enriched air into the F-35’s fuel system in order to reduce the potential buildup of highly flammable vapors. If the interior of the aircraft’s main fuel tank and associated fuel lines aren’t kept “inert” by the OBIGGS system, a lightning strike can ignite these flammable gasses and potentially cause an explosion.
Air National Guard
F-35s sitting underneath three lightning rods during a major joint exercise called Northern Lightning.
Air Force Times reported today that F-35 Joint Program Office spokesperson Laura Seal said the first F-35A to receive the repair could have it by July. Lockheed Martin has been installing an updated version of OBIGGS onto F-35As since November 2020, but crews will need to install the new system on older aircraft that have already been delivered. It’s unknown if the other variants currently in production have received the updated OBIGGS.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44152/critical-repair-could-allow-air-force-f-35s-to-fly-near-lightning-storms
