RAF pilots have been banned from flying the new Lightning II fighter jets in a storm over fears the £100million plane could explode if struck by lightning . The Ministry or Defence said that the stealth F35-B , which has been plagued by design flaws and technical setbacks , could not be flown within 28 miles of a thunderstorm . Named ‘ Lightning II ’ , it was even at risk of its namesake while on the ground with pilots told to move it under cover if less than 11 miles away from a storm . RAF pilots have been banned from flying Lightning II fighter jets in a storm over fears it could explode . The fighter was created under the U.S. 20-year Joint Strike Fighter programme , with the U.S. Government having ordered 2,500 of the Lockheed Martin planes . In Britain , 14 of the aircraft have been ordered to replace the ageing Harrier jump jet on the decks of the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers . But a recent Pentagon report highlighted concerns over the placement of the jet 's fuel tanks , which are located all the way through the wing , through the fuselage , around the inlets and back toward the engine . Pierre Sprey , a former Pentagon analyst who helped design the F-16 in the early 1970s , compared the engine to ' a blowtorch surrounded by fuel . ' There was also a risk of catching fire if the fighter plane was shot at . Last June , an F-35 burst into flames as it was taxiing for take-off at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida , because the engine had cracked during previous flights manoeuvres . One of the Pratt & Whitney engines broke apart , pushed through the top of the aeroplane , and caught fire while the pilot was preparing to take off . The entire fleet of F-35s was grounded for three weeks , and the plane missed its international debut . But that was not the end of problems for the fighter jets . The single-seat , single-engine fighter aircraft boasts a helmet mounted display system which is supposed to offer a 360 degree view of the outside of the aircraft . But the MoD admitted there were still 'unresolved issues ' surrounding the technology . The Ministry or Defence said that the stealth F35-B , which has been plagued by design flaws and technical setbacks , could not be flown within 28 miles of a thunderstorm in case it was hit by lightning . SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson , who brought up the safety issue in a series of parliamentary questions , told the Mirror the MoD were 'burying its head in the sand ' over the jet 's failures . He said : 'When they named the aircraft Lightning I do n't think they expected that very thing would render them totally useless . Adding to this ­embarrassment is the revelation none of these new jets have yet broken the sound barrier . ' The RAF website states that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was built to be a 'multi-role , all weather , day and night aircraft ' . Planes have a top speed of 1,300mph , a range of 1,450 miles and can carry a range of weapons including air-to-air rockets and satellite guided bombs . The design also uses stealth technology which will allow pilots to minimise its radar signature .
The MoD has banned pilots flying £100m Lightning fighter jets in storms . Move comes over fears lightning bolt could bring the stealth aircraft down . Joint Strike Fighter has ordered 14 of the new jets to be phased in over next five years . Fighter was created in the U.S. 20-year RAF programme . The U.S has ordered 2,500 of the new Lockheed Martin aeroplanes . But stealth F35-B was plagued by design flaws and technical setbacks . Pilots were warned it could not be flown within 28 miles of thunderstorm .