OR even a parts supplier? I’m pretty sure this is technically against the LAW - and Lockheed-Martin SHOULD be fined (significantly) for this. Alas - watch which lawmakers jump to their defense... and we will know who benefitted from this “deal”...
Relax. The system worked. The parts were shipped and Honeywell’s vendor provided a material cert as per the contract. It’s that material the part is made from that is in question.
The problem is that China has a near monopoly on many rare earth materials. If the Honeywell vendor was being unscrupulous might have falsified the cert, but that’s not what they are saying.
The F-35 engines are Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). The government buys the engines directly from P&W. Lockheed would have no insight to the engine's parts or P&W's suppliers.
The issue is between the government & P&W.