Pentagon Pushing to Minimize Chinese Presence in Defense Department Supply Chains
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is taking steps to ensure that American defense companies decouple from supply chains involving China as much as possible.
The American military’s reliance on Chinese inputs came into the spotlight earlier in September when the Pentagon halted deliveries of fifth generation F-35 fighter jets after it was found that a component used in the engines came from China. The component was a magnet made from a samarium and cobalt alloy originating in China.
The magnets are used on the plane’s turbomachine pumps, which are manufactured by U.S.-based Honeywell International. Honeywell has reportedly identified an alternate supplier for the materials while the Pentagon is expected to issue a waiver to resume F-35 deliveries for now….