The Pentagon’s top acquisition official said Friday he is hopeful a temporary halt to F-35 deliveries, prompted by the discovery that a key magnet in the fighter was made with raw materials that came from China, can be resolved soon.
The magnet, part of a key component in the F-35′s engine made by Honeywell, was recently discovered to have been made with a cobalt and samarium alloy that came from China. However, the alloy was magnetized in the United States, and the F-35 Joint Program Office on Wednesday said the part does not transmit information nor does it jeopardize the security or flight safety of the aircraft.
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But because the presence of Chinese-sourced materials in the plane could violate the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, the Pentagon has stopped accepting new F-35s from Lockheed Martin.
In a briefing with reporters at the Pentagon on Friday, William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said the investigation into the alloy is moving quickly.
Read more: Defense News
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