A variant of the F-35 fighter jet can now fly in lightning after years of restrictions. Lightning has long been a major — and ironic — issue for the F-35, nicknamed the Lightning II. The 2012 report said "tests of the fuel tank inerting system in 2009 identified deficiencies in maintaining the required lower fuel tank oxygen levels to prevent fuel tank explosions." Advertisement"The system, " according to the report, "is not able to maintain fuel tank inerting through some critical portions of a simulated mission profile. The program is redesigning the On-Board Inert Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) to provide the required levels of protection from threat and from fuel tank explosions induced by lightning."

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Persons: —, Russell Goemaere, Goemaere, Theodore Bergan, haven't Organizations: DoD, Service, Department of Defense, Business, Breaking Defense, Board, Marine Fighter Attack, Marine Fighter Attack Training, Marine Corps Air, US Marine Corps, Staff Locations: Point , North Carolina