According to Pentagon figures, 320 F-35s have been delivered globally, mainly to the US but also Israel and Britain, as well as other partner countries.
Britain said the Pentagon measure did not affect all of its F-35s, and that some flying missions had been “paused,” not grounded.
“F-35 flight trials from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth are continuing and the program remains on schedule to provide our armed forces with a game-changing capability,” a British defense ministry spokesman said.
‘Ready and prepared’
The Israeli military said it was taking additional precautions and conducting tests on its version of the F-35, known as the F-35I.
But if the planes are “required for operational action, the F-35I aircraft are ready and prepared,” a statement read.
On September 28, a Marine Corps F-35 crashed in South Carolina. The pilot survived after ejecting.
The incident occurred only one day after the US military first used the F-35 in combat, when Marine Corps jets hit Taliban targets in Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Defense News reported that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had ordered the Air Force and Navy to make 80 percent of the fleet of key fighters, including the F-35, mission capable within a year.