Pentagon in the firing line over Chinese fighter jet image used in US Veterans Day poster

Pentagon mistook PLA’s J-35 – which made its public debut at Zhuhai air show this week – for Lockheed Martin’s F-35

Reading Time:2 minutes

The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office mistakenly featured China’s twin-engined J-35 fighter prominently on its poster for Veterans Day. Photo: X/

Published: 5:16pm, 14 Nov 2024Updated: 5:55pm, 14 Nov 2024

The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office has come under fire after apparently featuring a Chinese fighter jet on its Veterans Day poster 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

“Looks an awful lot like China’s version of it,” one internet user commented, referring to China’s second stealth fighter, which was unveiled at the Zhuhai air show in China this week.

The aircraft 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 describes it as “the most powerful and most advanced fighter engine ever produced … it’s also the most dependable”.

Initially, the F-35 office kept 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.