Pentagon in the firing line for using image of Chinese fighter jet to mark US Veterans Day
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.
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”.
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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.