Lockheed Martin has produced nine F-35 Lightning II fighters, but cannot turn them over to customers due to a suspension of deliveries

We wrote that the U.S. Department of Defense has banned deliveries of the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. Because of this, nine new planes are idle at the Lockheed Martin plant.

Here's What We Know

The American defense company was already in a similar situation a few months ago. After the September delivery ban triggered by the discovery of a Chinese magnet, Lockheed Martin produced eight planes that remained idle at the plant for a month.

In the fall, the Pentagon did not ban flights of the F-35 Lightning II because the magnet did not physically damage the planes and could not collect or transmit data. This time authorities stopped several fighters from flying after one of them fell on the runway. Therefore, Lockheed Martin could not proceed to acceptance flights before shipping the planes to the customer.

Because of the ban on fighter jet deliveries, the company will not be able to meet its obligations under the 2022 contract. Lockheed Martin has transferred 141 planes to customers instead of 148.

Source: Defense News