Its success was marred by the Lockheed bribery scandals, in which Lockheed had given bribes to a considerable number of political and military figures in various nations to influence their judgment and secure several purchase contracts; this caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan.
Flyets success blev sværtet af Lockheed-skandalen, i hvilken Lockheed havde betalt bestikkelse til et betragteligt antal politikere og militærpersoner i forskellige lande for at påvirke deres afgørelser og sikre sig adskillige kontrakter; dette skabte betydelig politisk og folkelig furore i Europa og Japan.