Aviation
Pentagon suspends F-35 deliveries after discovering materials from China
Following Lockheed Martin‘s discovery that a metal component used in the jet’s engine was sourced from China, the Pentagon has temporarily halted the supply of F-35 fighter jets to the military services and foreign customers.
A magnet in the F-35’s Honeywell-manufactured turbo machine, which powers the engine-mounted starter/generator, was recently found to have been made with a cobalt and samarium alloy that originated in China, according to Lockheed Martin.
Czechs Want F-35 Fighter Jets, CV-90 Fighting Vehicles(Opens in a new browser tab)
A spokesman for the F-35 JPO, Russell Goemaere, acknowledged the magnet doesn’t transmit information or put the aircraft in danger and stated flight operations for F-35s that have already been delivered and put into service will continue as usual.
Defense companies willingly provided information to DCMA and the JPO once the problem was identified, and they were able to locate a different supplier of the alloy that will be utilised in future turbo machines.
Greece proceeds with purchase of 20 Lockheed F-35 fighter jets(Opens in a new browser tab)
Notably, certain specialised metals or alloys manufactured by “covered countries” identified in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation series are not permitted to be used, according to US law and a separate Pentagon acquisition regulation.
To make sure the supply chain complies with the contract, we are working with our partners and DOD. Any private programme information is not visible to or accessible to the public. According to Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is still safe for flight, and we are collaborating with the DOD to find a speedy solution so that we can resume deliveries.
