Pentagon stops accepting F-35 jets to check for Chinese content-source
September 07, 2022 at 12:31 pm EDT
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has stopped accepting new F-35 jets to check that a magnet being used in the stealthy fighter's engine is in compliance with U.S. procurement laws that bar unauthorized Chinese content, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The pause occurred in recent days, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity, to ensure that an alloy located in the engine's lubricant pump had proper authorization from U.S. regulators ensuring compliance with foreign-origin content. The alloy in the magnet that serves an engine pump comes from China, the person said. The Joint Program Office, the Pentagon and Honeywell International Inc, who makes the pump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lubricant pump is not part of any sensitive systems and there are other Chinese-origin magnets on the jet which have received waivers from past Pentagon officials.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Honeywell International Inc. specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of industrial equipment. The group also offers maintenance, technical assistance and engineering services. Net sales break down by family of products as follows:
- aeronautical equipment (37.2%): engines, navigation hardware and software, propulsion and communication systems, satellite and space components, lighting equipment, wheels, etc. The group also offers turbochargers for motor vehicles;
- performance materials and technologies (31.4%): polymers, fibers, resins, acids, additives, catalysts, sorbents, semiconductor packaging materials, coating materials, etc.;
- building automation and control systems (16.4%): heating and ventilation control systems, fire alarms, thermostats, monitoring systems, etc.;
- security and productivity optimization solutions (15%): personal safety equipment, warning systems, gas detection systems, data collection and thermal printing computer solutions, warehouse and supply chain automation systems, data and production process management solutions, etc.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: the United States (57%), Europe (22%) and other (21%).
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. 
