F-35A Joint Strike Fighter warplanes keep flying despite ejection trouble

The RAAF will continue to fly its fleet of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, despite a potential problem with the aircraft’s ejector seats that has grounded the jets in the US.

An RAAF F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The RAAF will continue to fly its fleet of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, despite a potential problem with the aircraft’s ejector seats that has grounded the stealth jets in the US.

The decision comes just weeks before Exercise Pitch Black in the Northern Territory, where the aircraft will be pitted against a multinational force in simulated air warfare training.

The US Air Force temporarily grounded its F-35 fleet last week after defects were discovered in a small number of the explosive cartridges used in the aircraft’s ejection seats. Israel has also grounded its F-35s to allow checks of the cartridges.

Defence said it was working with the F-35 Joint Program ­Office – the engineering authority for F-35s globally – as it investigated the potential issue.

“Air Force has undertaken an independent risk assessment based on information provided by the F-35A JPO and will continue flying the F-35A,” a Defence spokesman said. “Air Force will continue to engage with the US Air Force and JPO and review its risk assessment if new information is received.”

The cartridges are also used in other aircraft, with Defence revealing it had identified “a small number” of F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers that would require replacements.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Malcolm Davis said if the US had grounded its F-35s to check for problems, “we should be doing the same”.

“If there are faulty (ejection seat cartridges), we should not be flying those aircraft,” he said.