The United States Pentagon has officially paused the deliveries of the F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin after finding that its magnets used a Chinese-made alloy, something that does not comply with defense regulations. Lockheed Martin's delivered fighter jets would no longer need returns for the aircraft, but future releases would see change on this said metal.
Pentagon Pause F-35 Deliveries Due to Chinese Material Use
(Photo : Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Bloomberg reported that the Pentagon stopped the acceptance of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets after finding that the aircraft used Chinese magnets fitted on its body. The F-35 program office's inspection of the aircraft found China-made alloys on the fighter jets, and it is a defense regulation violation for the manufacturing of the F-35.
The Department of Defense paused the acceptance of deliveries from Lockheed Martin on this venture, and the military is now asking for a change on its materials used. Lockheed Martin said that the F-35 is the most advanced fighter jet in the world, and it presents a top quality to the US military for all their needs in air defense.
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Does the Chinese Alloy Affect the F-35's Performance?
According to the report, the Chinese alloy found in the F-35 from the recent batch from Lockheed Martin does not affect performance or interfere with its systems.
Defense Department spokesman Russell Goemaere said in an email that the Chinese alloy does not interfere with operations of F-35s. Those already delivered to the US military and partners will not see any return, further stating 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."
The United States F-35 Fighter Jet
The F-35 fighter jet of the United States saw significant events before it, and the aircraft has stood the test of time for several years now, being the preferred military aircraft for its aerial needs. The United States Air Force saw a slow delivery of the F-35 fighter jet during the initial arrival of the coronavirus, as it affected massive production of the company.
It is one of the most celebrated aircraft in the United States Air Force, and it brought remarkable and historical feats in the past. Lockheed Martin's F-35 gave the Department of Defense and the US military a notable aircraft that focused on bringing special maneuvers and high-speed assaults on different uses.
However, not all see a successful use on it, as some military training of the pilots for the F-35 resulted in crashes, like one that happened in Florida last 2020.
The fighter jet is a massive aircraft in the military's arsenal, and it still plays a significant role in the US Air Force's use of it in the present, being one of its main defense equipment for all needs. The Pentagon's decision to halt its deliveries only shows that it is strictly following the defense regulations, making sure that all aspects see proper standards for its creation.
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Written by Isaiah Richard
