Blue Angels grounded due to spending cuts

By Kaija Wilkinson

MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) - The renowned Blue Angels precision flying team will be grounded for the remainder of its 2013 show season due to federal spending cuts, the U.S. Navy said on Tuesday.

The move was expected after military leaders said active-duty troops would be given priority amid $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that began taking effect on March 1.

Cancelling the remaining 33 shows in the flight demonstration squadron's season will save an estimated $28 million, Navy officials said. Launched in 1946 to enhance recruiting, the Blue Angels program costs about $40 million a year.

"I know a lot of people are terribly disappointed that they won't get to see the Blues perform, but there is probably no one more disappointed than the Blues themselves," said Lieutenant Aaron Kakiel, spokesman for the Naval Air Forces in San Diego.

The Navy's announcement follows the Air Force's decision to cancel performances by its Thunderbirds exhibition flying team as of April 1 due to the so-called sequestration cuts.

The 130-person Blue Angels team, which includes seven pilots, will remain stationed in Pensacola, Florida. The pilots will continue training to maintain flying proficiency but will not practice their thrilling formations and acrobatics, Kakiel said.

The team will continue its outreach in the local community and is looking for ways to stay engaged with supporters in other parts of the country, he said.

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward said the loss of the Blue Angels' shows in that city would have both a financial and sentimental impact.

"Beyond the multimillion-dollar economic impact of their two annual flight shows in Pensacola, the Blue Angels are a fundamental and beloved part of the fabric of our city, and the loss that we feel as a community is beyond measure," Hayward said.

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)

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F-35 fleet grounded after engine crack discovery

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon on Friday grounded its fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine blade in one plane.

The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., of an F-35A, the Air Force version of the sleek new plane. The Navy and the Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which is intended to replace older fighters like the Air Force F-16 and the Navy F/A-18.

All versions — a total of 51 planes — were grounded Friday pending a more in-depth evaluation of the problem discovered at Edwards. None of the planes have been fielded for combat operations; all are undergoing testing.

In a brief written statement, the Pentagon said it is too early to know the full impact of the newly discovered problem.

The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program at a total estimated cost of nearly $400 billion. The Pentagon envisions buying more than 2,400 F-35s, but some members of Congress are balking at the price tag.

Friday's suspension of flight operations will remain in effect until an investigation of the problem's root cause is determined.

The Pentagon said the engine in which the problem was discovered is being shipped to a Pratt & Whitney facility in Connecticut for more thorough evaluation.

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