via Reuters.
Honeywell decided to move the sensor production to China to save money, and simplify its supply line, he said.A couple of issues for F-35 supporters.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, is also looking into the sensor issue and two others involving the F-35, as part of a report due March 1.
U.S. lawmakers ordered the GAO report because they are concerned American firms are being shut out of the specialty metals market, and that U.S. weapons could become dependent on parts made by a potential future adversary.
Pentagon spokeswoman Maureen Schumann said the Pentagon's Kendall had granted national security waivers to allow foreign-built parts on other aircraft in the past, but had no immediate details about those cases.
DellaVedova, the spokesman for the F-35 program office, said the thermal sensors were simple parts that did not include any software and were not programmable. He said there was no security risk associated with use of the sensors.
He said all the Chinese-built sensors would eventually be replaced on the F-35s, but the process had not yet been completed. He had no immediate information on how many Chinese-built sensors were installed on the planes.
"This will all be taken care of," DellaVedova said.
1. This airplane is compromised. I wouldn't accept Chinese built parts for my rifles or pistols. In a 200 million dollar plus airplane that is suppose to safeguard our future? This is complete and utter bullshit.
2. F-35 supporters can take the "economic" benefits of this jet and shove them up their ass. Honeywell is probably the tip of the iceberg on this but its obvious. They offshore production of certain parts to save money. Not for the taxpayer but for their own bottom line. National security be damned. The American worker be damned. Shareholders and company officials are the only ones that profit from this airplane.
Someone should go to jail. The F-35 program spokesman needs to find a deep hole and think carefully before he speaks again. My nominations for the big house include every Program Manager involved with the program, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the USAF Chief of Staff, along with every CEO, COO and individual involved with the F-35 from Lockheed Martin.
Barring jail terms the only other thing I wish is that they all fry in hell.
Sidenote: Yeah, I'm pissed. I parroted the talking points for this program for so long and to finally see them in all their glory makes me want to punch walls. Shoot me, stab me, steal from me. I won't like it but I can get over it. Lie to me and then have me lie for you? I'll never forget or forgive.
And it makes a fine RICO Statute case. Or, so history will show.
ReplyDeletewhats really telling is that no one has started an investigation yet. this thing is slimy from the floor up. the corruption is obvious, it going to fall apart, the only question is when.
DeleteAll the greedy motherfucker subcontractors who put bids in knowing they got parts from China deserve jail time.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the whole premise for Congressional buy-in? It's a jobs creator? Well, it creates money for company execs who sent the specs to Chinese factories and those execs write checks to Congressional PACs I guess. Motherfuckers need to serve time in Leavenworth.
Funny first they were claiming it was as harmless as just magnets now we see it much more than that and i fully expect this to be just the start. In effort to keep the profits up more and more Chinese parts will be used unless that is stopped now.
ReplyDeleteF-35 is an excellent fighter jet to DONATE to our enemies.
ReplyDeleteMaybe so they (the enemies) break your finances and maybe we get a little Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk ............... .
hehe.
Someone once told me this: If you even think or feel like you've been "screwed", no amount of PR needed, you've been screwed.
ReplyDeleteSol, operators of the F-35 will be "screwed". Both financially and tactically. China is laughing their way to the bank ... Oh crap. China now OWNS the bank! :P
Yeah, who was it that telling us we had nothing to worry about, it was just some $2 magnet? What else is being built in China? How can DoD be so sure some of the parts or designs haven't been compromised?
ReplyDeleteI guess DoD hasn't noticed some weapon systems that have been appearing in Chinese news and how familiar some of them look like......
oh this is some serious shit. i can't wait to read my blog and news roll and have the usual suspects downplay the issue.
Deletethis thing is calling for an investigation and whether its done by this administration or the next, someone will go to jail.
Where are those good times when Chines steal tech and know-how ? Now company just give them for free to make more money. "Oh no!" they will say, "We have some very good contracts and deals and those nice Chinese said that they will not copy our work, then they give us t-shirts and some cups with China Rules! logo".
DeleteI think Chinese need to start believe in christian Christmas because Santa is going to give them a full bag of gifts.
C'mon, Sol. Someone is going to jail? You serious? This is not China we are talking about where ANYONE goes to jail (and get their head chopped off). We are talking about corporate America. America where there are more lawyers than drug dealers!
DeleteC'mon, Sol. The most is the company is going to get a multi-million fine ... in Chinese RBP currency. :)
corporate America can buy themselves out of anything. military America is held to a higher standard and when the natives get restless they want accountability in the end. i stand by it, but i'll be more specific. someone from the USAF, USMC or even USN (they put a couple of admirals in charge of the program---joint sucks sometimes) will go to jail because they knew of the illegalities and did not tell Congress. Lockheed Martin will get the A-12 treatment but in reverse and will get bent over the table and have to pay up. in the end they'll be lucky to be in the fighter business and every program they're involved in will be placed under a microscope.
DeleteSol,
DeleteOk, ok, ok. You win this one. Someone from the uniform will get whacked. Let me throw you a curve ball, if I may?
Remember a few years ago when some government agency discovered that some vital US military electronic hardware were SOURCED FROM China? Sure it said, "Made in USA" but a close scrutiny shows a chip inside was "Made in China".
My curve ball is this: Who's guaranteeing that vital F-35 mirco-component, heck even SPY-1D, are all made from USA?
Bear in mind that the likes of Raytheon or L3, they don't manufacturer all their components. They are like restaurant. They source all their components and Raytheon or L3, etc just ASSEMBLES them.
well the bigger issue is this. if the US is outsourcing for parts to go into our most high tech equipment can the system that backstops it last much longer? my answer is no. i believe that globalization is just an international bubble that is about to pop.
Deletei believe that historians will look back on this scheme and properly label it as the cause of the 2nd great depression.
look around the web. SLDInfo did an article on the current economic conditions in europe. long story short? France is going to be the next nation that goes under. the US is hanging on by a thread and i fully expect everything to go south.
one last thing. have you noticed something about the F-35 lately? the advertising for it is thru the roof. but supporters are quieter and quieter. also note that we're seeing more bad news about this progam.
i really think that we're seeing a plan to kill the airplane come out. first a terrible economy in europe will allow our allies to back out of the deal...a lousy economy in the US, plus terrible news about chinese parts makes it easier for everyone to say lets go 6th gen and skip the F-35.
Sol,
DeleteSomeone with balls have got to come up with a proof or proof-of-concept that somewhere in the US Military's high-tech weapons system, containing Chinese-made PROGRAMABLE electrical components, has a backdoor allowing anonymous users to shut down this component.
Someone's got to show US Brass in REAL-LIFE. Not just "possible this" or "possible that". Put the component into a Harpoon missile. Launch the missile. Invoke the exploit. If someone does NOT show the brass this then no one will believe it and no one will take this seriously.
For fuck's sake. They're magnets. They're on non-critical, non programmable doors and landing gear. There's a lot of problems with program (similarities with the F-4) but this isn't one of them
ReplyDeletefor fuck's sake read the article and use a little grey matter. this is only the beginning. much more is going to be disclosed and its obvious from the reporting and from the statements made by program officials.
DeleteYup, first it was you can keep your plan, then it was you can keep your doctor, now it's WEAPONS ACQUISITION SUITE PARTS MADE IN CHINA or worse the Crew oxygen providing gear.
DeleteStarts as a small, well it was just magnets, and balloon's into a big pile of stinking poo poo.
Jail, someone or more needs to be sent for this.
Of topic Solomon,(but not much) it looks like (after saying that it wouldnt be so) the Boeing/Saab team is pushing a Gripen lite to the T-X program after all.They are also talking about the Gripen to the ANG and aggressor squadrons...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aereo.jor.br/2014/01/12/gripen-na-usaf/
Who in the Pentagon is responsible for singing waivers of this sort?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore. the PLA would have to know that one of their companies was providing parts to one of our front line aircraft. Lord knows what type of damage was done.
Oh Well! Who is in charge of this goat screw?
ReplyDeleteI know it's not anyone with actual brains.
Kinda like buying parts for the Manhattan project from the Japanese.
I'm surprised Aviationweek hasn't been all over this story.
ReplyDeleteFrank Kendall, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, approved the waivers.
ReplyDeleteBastards. If we ever go to war with China this COULD be prosecuted as Treason under Article 3 of the Constitution. And remember, the Federal government does have a death penalty.
ReplyDeletehttp://whythef35.blogspot.com/2014/01/f-35-great-chinese-parts-tempest-in.html
ReplyDeleteLockheed Martin talking points.
DeleteNo, no, no, this can't be!!! The problem is not China, at this point, it's us! I'm telling you the defense contractors need to play ball with the US, when it comes to our national security. It cannot be about the almighty dollar when it comes to our defense and sovereignty. I still believe this is a great plane design, but from another perspective, it's possible it has been compromised to much already. Maybe it's time to look at the Boeing design, a fresh start.
ReplyDelete