US all set to export F35 jets to China

In the latest blow to the much maligned F-35 program, engineers have uncovered a slew of flaws during extensive testing of the newest versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a Pentagon report said, adding to a litany of issues including software bugs, technical glitches. But a source within the Pentagon speaking on condition partial anonymity, told us that US has now decided to finally take the project to completion that too in a manner that "you wouldn't have expected".

"US is offering F-35 fighters to nations that are less than friends such as China and Iran. I was part of a snack hour meeting yesterday where we decided to do this. F-35s would make the enemy more vulnerable in the air and we will exploit that vulnerability to our advantage. They are getting ready to offer it to everyone including Russia," said Bill, a Flight Systems Specialist at DARPA.

China, it may be remembered has its own 5th Gen jet copied from the F-35. In fact, China had approached Lockheed Martin in May last year for a contract to fix the very same flaws that F-35 had which had turned up in the Chinese fighter jet. But Lockheed Martin politely refused. So China had no option but to keep its neck down till it figured out an alternative.

Pakistan meanwhile said that it was eager to repaint an F-35 even with the flaws.