Magnet.

This is coolbert:

Further on the topic of the magnets used in the jet engines of the American F-35 warplane. Magnets as manufactured with perhaps sub-standard alloy. 

"F-35 Deliveries Halted As Chinese Alloy Was Found In Turbomachine Pumps"

From theaviationist.com thanks to the article by STEFANO D'URSO September 10.

"The alloy is used by a contractor to make magnets for Honeywell’s turbomachine pumps."

Alloy as from a proscribed nation as seen hostile to the USA. An alloy I would like to think was quality-controlled tested and as being within specifications. Alloy and not the magnets themselves only the question.

"The Pentagon has temporally stopped F-35 deliveries after officials discovered that an alloy used in magnets on the jet’s turbomachine pumps was produced in China."

"The F-35 program office 'temporarily paused the acceptance of new F-35 aircraft to ensure the F-35 program’s compliance; with defense regulations 'pertaining to specialty metals,' . . . the pause won’t interfere with operations of F-35s already delivered because 'the magnet does not transmit information or harm the integrity of the aircraft and there are no performance, quality, safety or security risks associated with this issue.'”

I might think that "quality, safety, security" would ALL be an issue. What reassurance is there those alloys were of the proper specification? Only the government knows for sure?

My original thought also was that all the engines of the every last F-35 currently in the inventory would have to ripped apart and the magnets replaced by an alloy according to specs. These magnets were tested for specs I hope. It might be that all of the magnets are in specs but it was just that buying from China the alloy alone there was a risk and should not have been done in the first place.

See my previous blog entry on topic:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/09/metallic.html

coolbert.