U.S. Waived Laws To Keep F-35 On Track With China-made Parts 348
An anonymous reader sends this report from Reuters:
"The Pentagon repeatedly waived laws banning Chinese-built components on U.S. weapons in order to keep the $392 billion Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter program on track in 2012 and 2013, even as U.S. officials were voicing concern about China's espionage and military buildup. According to Pentagon documents reviewed by Reuters, chief U.S. arms buyer Frank Kendall allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell International Inc, to use Chinese magnets for the new warplane's radar system, landing gears and other hardware. Without the waivers, both companies could have faced sanctions for violating federal law and the F-35 program could have faced further delays."
Re:Russians too? (Score:5, Funny)
"Components. American components, Russian Components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!"
Re: Don't imagine it stops there. (Score:4, Funny)
..but for a handful of $2 magnets (which if we did go to war with China could be found in stockrooms all across the US) who cares
I do. They're probably counterfeit magnets made out of melamine and lead paint, and they probably don't even have a south pole...
We'll be sorry... (Score:4, Funny)
When the shit hits the fan and a US pilot is in a dogfight with a Chinese pilot, and the Chinese pilot throws the switch which tuns off the magnets in the US plane...
The fighter that can't fly in the rain (Score:4, Funny)
The F-35 is a huge threat to US security. It is bankrupting the nation, incapable of doing the job, and every squadron that adopts it becomes immediately non-operational due to all of its problems. If a foreign government did this to the US the cruise missiles would have been launched long ago. Kill the program!.
Re:The fighter that can't fly in the rain (Score:4, Funny)
What? Are you crazy? Putting a stop to the F-35 would end a large component of the American Way of Life (TM) - taking ridiculous sums of taxpayer money to pay a small set of favored contracting companies to build a bunch of military stuff at ridiculously inflated prices that may or may not work, in exchange for bribes^Hcampaign donations to the politicians who made the decision to engage in this policy.
This policy isn't about protecting the American people, and hasn't been since at least 1989.