US Department of Defense Halts F-35 Deliveries Containing Chinese Components, Orders Part Replacement

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of Defense has temporarily halted the acceptance of some F-35 stealth fighter jet parts ordered from Lockheed Martin after discovering that Chinese raw materials were used. As export restrictions on Chinese components become stricter, it is expected that defense contractors will face increased challenges in managing parts in the future.

According to Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), Russell Gomaier, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense's F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), stated, "An investigation conducted last August found that the magnets used in the turbomachinery pump of the F-35 engine were made from a Chinese alloy not authorized under the Department of Defense procurement regulations," adding, "We will temporarily suspend acceptance of the F-35 fighter jets to comply with regulations related to metal materials."

Currently, U.S. law and the Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) prohibit the use of special metals or alloys produced by adversarial countries such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. With relations between the U.S. and China worsening over the Taiwan Strait, export restrictions on Chinese parts have become more stringent. The Department of Defense plans to replace these parts with others made from raw materials that do not violate relevant laws or regulations.

Spokesperson Gomaier emphasized, "However, it is assessed that there is no security or safety risk such as transmitting information about the problematic Chinese alloy parts externally or damaging the aircraft," and added, "There will be no impact on the operation of F-35 aircraft acquired by the U.S. or its allies." The turbomachinery in the F-35 engine connects the auxiliary power unit and air circulator, supplying power during ground maintenance, main engine start-up, and emergency power use.

Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the fighter jet, stated, "This issue concerns the samarium-cobalt alloy used in the turbomachinery manufactured by Honeywell," and added, "We are cooperating with the Department of Defense to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and resume acceptance." Earlier, Honeywell, the manufacturer of the lubricant pump, discovered last month that the Chinese parts were supplied by a subcontractor and notified Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of Defense accordingly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.