Lockheed Martin halts deliveries due to 'Chinese alloy' used in engine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Sep 2022 09:54

An alloy that is used in the magnets that are contained in the US-made turbomachine pumps came from China, resulting in the halting of deliveries.

A US Air Force F-35A Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

After Lockheed Martin discovered that a metal component used in the F-35 jet's engine is manufactured in China, it temporarily suspended the delivery of the jets to military branches and international buyers, according to the company.

On August 19, the Defense Contract Management Agency notified the F-35 Joint Program Office that an alloy used in the magnets contained in the US-made turbomachine pumps came from China. Although Lockheed Martin builds the entire aircraft, the turbomachine is produced by Honeywell, which is an American multinational conglomerate.

“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,” said Russell Goemaere, the office's spokesperson, to Politico.

“Defense contractors voluntarily shared information with DCMA and the JPO once the issue was discovered and they have found an alternative source for the alloy that will be used in future turbomachines,” Goemaere said

Honeywell's spokesperson, Adam Kress, said in a statement that the company is "working closely with the DOD and Lockheed Martin to achieve those commitments on products Honeywell supplies for the use on the F-35."

The F-35 aircraft is used by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, in addition to 10 other countries that have purchased the commodity, including Canada, Germany and Finland.

The Defense Contract Management Agency is probing what caused the Chinese material to be used in the F-35 manufacturing - if there arises evidence that Lockheed Martin violated the Buy American statute, it would need a national security waiver to resume deliveries, which will be decided by William LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

Laura Siebert, Lockheed Martin's spokesperson, said "The F-35 remains safe for flight, and we are working with the DoD to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to resume deliveries."

US perceives China as a threat to its unipolar world order

On Wednesday, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that Russia does not pose the same level of risk to the United States and the international order it attempts to maintain that China does in the long term.

According to the Under Secretary, Pentagon’s national defense strategy classifies China as a "pacing threat" capable of challenging the US in a number of areas, including defense, technology, and economy.

Recently, China announced that it will no longer work with the United States on a number of areas, including climate change, drug policy, and military negotiations, as a result of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to Taiwan, which heightened tensions.