By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-14 09:18:03 | Updated at 2024-11-22 11:36:07
1 week ago
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office has sparked criticism after mistakenly featuring a Chinese fighter jet prominently on its poster for Veterans Day to honour America’s former servicemen and women.
In the now-deleted Instagram and X posts, the image showed a twin-engined fighter that resembled China’s J-35 beneath a banner featuring the American flag.
The post, meant to celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, read: “Today, and every day, we thank all Veterans and those currently serving for their service and sacrifice”.
02:26
China’s biggest air show in Zhuhai features new fighter jets and helicopters
China’s biggest air show in Zhuhai features new fighter jets and helicopters
“Looks an awful lot like China’s version of it,” commented one internet user about the blunder while referring to China’s second stealth fighter that had just been unveiled at the Zhuhai air show in China this week.
It has been touted as the Chinese equivalent of Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35.
The F-35 Lightning II is a single-engine aircraft using a Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan that enables supersonic speeds crucial for fifth-generation stealth operations.
The engine manufacturer described it as “the most powerful and most advanced fighter engine ever produced … it’s also the most dependable”.
Initially, the F-35 office chose to keep the image online but disabled comments amid growing outrage before deleting it. The organisation has yet to issue a corrected post marking Veterans Day, which was once known as Armistice Day.
