The Pentagon halted shipments of Lockheed Martin Corps’ F-35 fighter jets for 30 days this fall after it discovered corrosion around fasteners and a fix was devised, people familiar with the situation said.
During maintenance, the Air Force detected corrosion where the carbon fiber exterior panel is fastened to the airframe.
A lack of protective coating at the fastening point that would have prevented corrosion was identified as the primary problem, the sources said.
The fastener issue on the current F-35 fleet is not affecting flights, nor is it a safety concern, the people said. Lockheed is investigating the extent of the corrosion issue across the fleet of more than 250 jets deployed to the US military and its allies.
[contentcards url=”http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-lockheed-f-35-jet-fighter-deliveries-were-halted-for-30-days-sources-2017-11?&platform=bi-androidapp” target=”_blank”]