The Pentagon on Friday again grounded all Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets due to an engine problem, Politico reports, just one week before automatic budget cuts known as the sequester are set to go into effect:
The Defense Department has suspended flight operations for all three variants of the F-35 as a “precautionary measure,” officials said. The suspension comes after a crack was discovered in an F-35 engine blade, according to Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the F-35 Joint Program Office.
The project is seven years behind schedule and 70% over budget at almost $400 billion, according to Bloomberg.
