Pentagon suspends F-35 deliveries after discovering materials from China

The Pentagon halted the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to the military branches and international customers after discovering a metal component used in the jet's engine was from China.

The F-35 Joint Program Office was notified by the Defense Contract Management Agency that the magnets used in the F-35 are made in China. The aircraft is built by Lockheed Martin.

The Joint Program Office said the discovery doesn't affect flight operations of F-35s.

There are no performance, quality, safety or security risks associated with the issue and flight operations for the F-35 in-service fleet will continue as usual.

After the issue was discovered, defense contractors shared information with DCMA and the JPO, which led to the discovery of an alternative source for the alloy.

An auxiliary power unit and an air cycle machine are combined into one piece of equipment. It provides electrical power for ground maintenance, main engine start and emergency power, as well as compressed air for the thermal management system during ground maintenance.

"Honeywell remains committed to supplying high-quality products that meet or exceed all customer contract requirements," the company's spokesman said. We are working closely with the DOD and Lockheed Martin to make sure that we achieve our commitments on the products we supply for the F-35.

Along with 10 other countries, the F-35 is flown by the U.S. Air Force.

DCMA is looking into the "causal factors" of what led to a Chinese alloy in the F-35 program. If the Buy American statute is found to have been violated, the company would need a national security exemption.

Ensuring contractual compliance within the supply chain is a priority for us. Any sensitive program information is not accessible to the magnet. The F-35 remains safe for flight and we are working with the Department of Defense to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to resume deliveries.

A person familiar with the issue said that the F-35 Joint Program Office, Defense Contract Management Agency and Lockheed Martin are analyzing the supply chain.

The program will be decided by William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.