The Air Force is not alone in experiencing a stand down of combat aircraft such as the F-15. The Associated Press says (report via International Herald Tribune) that 70 Italian Air Force 70 AMX fighter aircraft are now grounded “indefinitely for a safety investigation.” There have been 12 accidents with the model since its fielding in 1989, causing five deaths, AP reports. All of the affected AMX airplanes are based in Italy. Like USAF, the wire service says the Italian Air Force is concerned the grounding will hamper pilot readiness. Italy has plans to acquire approximately 130 F-35 stealth fighter aircraft starting next decade in part to replace its AMX fleet.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth foot-stomped the Pentagon's push for acquisition speed and contractor accountability in a Jan. 12 speech at Lockheed Martin’s production hub in Fort Worth, Texas—the heart of the department’s biggest acquisition program, the F-35.
