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The Italian air force has grounded 70 AMX fighter jets indefinitely for a safety investigation, air force spokesman Col. Amedeo Magnani said Saturday.
He said the AMX has had 12 accidents since going into service in late 1989 and has caused five deaths.
The grounding order followed an investigation by Sardinian prosecutors into the 2005 crash of an AMX in a field of artichokes on the island, the Italian news agency ANSA said.
"There are elements to contend that the AMX fighter jets are dangerous, therefore not suitable for flight," ANSA quoted Cagliari Chief Prosecutor Mauro Mura as saying.
The fighter jets, manufactured jointly by Alenia Aermacchi and Embraer, can carry a weapon payload of 3,800 kg.
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