Components of the America’s most advanced stealth fighter jet arrived in Hong Kong due to a shipping mishap
China has obtained potentially sensitive components from the F-35, the US military’s most advanced stealth fighter jet, after the parts were unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong while being shipped from Australia to the US, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people briefed on the incident.
The incident first reported by Politico last week occurred earlier this year, when a shipment of allegedly unserviceable F-35 parts from Australia that was bound for the US was inexplicably rerouted.
US shipping giant UPS was transporting an F-35 canopy and weapons-bay door from the Australian Air Force to the US for inspection and possible repair or disposal, people familiar with the incident told Bloomberg. The two components, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, were coated with radar-absorbing material designed to enhance the aircraft’s stealth capabilities, according to two sources cited by the outlet.
One of the sources said the transport aircraft stopped in South Korea on its way to the US, after which the shipment was rerouted to Hong Kong. It remains unclear why the aircraft stopped there, why the shipment was sent to Hong Kong, or whether the rerouting was intentional or accidental, the source said. Two sources added that Chinese authorities subsequently seized the components, which have not been returned.
The F-35, one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets, is operated by around 20 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Australia. Australia serves as a regional hub in the Indo-Pacific for storing spare parts and maintaining F-35s operated by nearby US allies.
At least two congressional committees are investigating the latest incident, the news agency noted. Earlier this week, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Canberra was working with the US and Lockheed Martin to examine its role in the shipment blunder. Marles stressed that the missing components were not sensitive.
According to a Lockheed Martin spokesperson in Australia, “the components in question are unserviceable and deemed low risk for exploitation.”
The disclosure of the incident comes at a politically sensitive time for the two countries, as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a state visit with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the incident, while the Hong Kong government declined to comment on specific cases.
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