Pentagon Suspends F-35 Deliveries After Chinese Magnet Found In Engine Pump

The Department of Defense has suspended its receipt of new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the US armed forces after learning that a magnet in its engine was manufactured with unauthorized material from China, US media reports said on Wednesday.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Russell Goemaere told reporters that the material was discovered last month when an investigation uncovered an alloy in the engine's lubricant pump that was used in contravention of US rules prohibiting unauthorized Chinese content, Reuters news agency reported.

However, the magnet did not transmit any information or pose any threat of damage to the aircraft, Goemaere added.

According to Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the F-35, the magnet included cobalt and samarium alloy. The pump itself was manufactured by Honeywell, the report said.