F-35 fighter jets continue to have glitches, other issues : Report

WASHINGTON — American F-35 fighter jets currently have 13 deficiencies including loss of flight control in certain cases, according to documents acquired by Defense News.

The documents reveal that after completing certain unspecified maneuvers, pilots of the F-35B and F-35C fighter jets were not always able to completely control the pitch, yaw and roll of their aircraft.

Citing the documents, Defense News reports the two fighter jets are also compelled to limit their airspeed in order to avoid structural damage to the stealth coating.

If a tire suddenly blows out on the F-35A and F-35B fighter jets, this could potentially destroy its hydraulic brake lines.

F-35C jets may have a green glow appear on their helmet mounted display at times, making it challenging to land on aircraft carriers, according to Defense News.

Other issues include the F-35 erroneously reporting that a battery has failed under cold weather conditions and sudden cabin pressure spikes which can cause extreme pain in the ear.

Mat Winter, the U.S. Defense Department's F-35 program executive, told Defence News that nine out of the 13 problems are likely to be corrected or receive a downgrade in its status before the government decides to move on with full-rate production at the end of this year.