Pentagon pauses F-35 deliveries after discovering jet component came from China
F-35s already in service are not affected by the issue
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pentagon has paused deliveries of F-35 fighter jets to U.S. military branches and global allies after the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, discovered one of the plane's components was sourced from China, Politico reported Wednesday.
The component is a magnet used in the F-35's turbomachine pumps, and it reportedly contains an alloy sourced from China. Pentagon officials were reportedly alerted to the issue on Aug. 19. Officials say it does not affect F-35s that are already in service, according to Politico.
U.S. procurement laws prohibit sourcing supplies for military equipment from foreign adversaries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We have confirmed that the magnet does not transmit information or harm the integrity of the aircraft, and there are no performance, quality, safety or security risks associated with this issue, and flight operations for the F-35 in-service fleet will continue as normal," F-35 Joint Program Office spokesperson Russell Goemaere told the outlet.
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ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 14, 2016) F-35C Lightning II carrier variants, assigned to the Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, taxi on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). VX-23 is conducting its third and final developmental test (DT-III) phase aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alora R. Blosch)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While Lockheed is responsible for building each F-35, the turbomachine pumps were built by Honeywell, according to Policito.
The F-35 is America's fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, and its design is a closely-guarded secret.
An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA 101) launches off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Josue Escobosa/Released)
The report comes roughly a month after the U.S. Air Force ordered all in-service F-35's to stand down for a day due to concerns over faulty ejection seats. The
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"Out of an abundance of caution, Air Combat Command units will execute a stand-down on July 29 to expedite the inspection process," Air Combat Command said in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time. "Based on data gathered from those inspections, ACC will make a determination to resume operations."
Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.