Pentagon halts deliveries of F-35 jets due to repair cost dispute
Apr 16, 2018, 5:30 AM
(U.S. Air Force Photo)
(U.S. Air Force Photo)
The U.S. Department of Defense has stopped accepting deliveries of most F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin Corp due to a payment dispute over fixing a production error, according to Reuters.
Last year, the Pentagon found corrosion where panels were fastened to the airframe, Reuters said. More than 200 jets were affected.
The Pentagon stopped accepting the F-35s for 30 days. When the problem was solved and deliveries resumed, Lockheed hit its delivery target for the year.
Deliveries have been paused again over what Reuters called a “complex logistical fix” that could force technicians to travel around the world.
At least two foreign governments have stopped accepting F-35s due to this issue, according to Reuters.
“Production on the F-35 program continues and we are confident we will meet our delivery target of 91 aircraft for 2018,” a Lockheed spokeswoman said to Reuters. “While all work in our factories remain active, the F-35 Joint Program Office has temporarily suspended accepting aircraft until we reach an agreement on a contractual issue and we expect this to be resolved soon.”
