The United States Air Force grounded all F-35 Fighter while investigators determine what caused a fire that forced a pilot to abort take-off.  No one was hurt, but it casts a shadow on an extremely expensive program that some really want to be at the forefront of military aviation.

The plane caught fire on the runway of Eglin Air Force base in Florida on 23 June, as British and American military officials was preparing for the F-35’s international debut at two air shows in Britain.  A source told the CBC in Canada, “The engine ripped through the top of the plane.”  The debris was sent back to the engine’s manufacturer Pratt & Whiney for examination.

It’s the latest black mark on the F-35 program, which has been saddled with cost overruns and mechanical and technological problems. 

The engine failure will not affect Australia’s purchase of 58 of the aircraft, according to the Defense Ministry, an order that will cost A$12.4 Billion followed by another $12 billion to keep the fighters operational over their active lifetime.  That kind of money has critics very concerned about one of the biggest military purchases in Australian history.