US investigates diversion of F-35 parts to Hong Kong — Anadolu Agency
The United States is investigating an incident involving F-35 fighter jet parts that were diverted to Hong Kong while being transported from Australia to the United States for repair. According to Anadolu Agency, Politico reported this. The incident raised concerns that components of the classified weapons system could have come under China’s sphere of influence.
Details of the shipment
According to Politico, the parts were transported by an intermediary for F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The Pentagon, the outlet claims, confirmed that some of the components had gone missing. The reasons for the route change and who currently possesses the parts have not been established.
The shipment included an F-35 cockpit canopy, an element that covers the cockpit and contains stealth technology available only to the United States and its allies. If an adversary obtains these components, they could potentially be studied and used for reverse engineering.
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Reaction of US authorities
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office said it was aware of the issue involving the shipment of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components. The office said it was working with US authorities and industry partners to recover the components, investigate the incident, and introduce safeguards to prevent such cases from recurring.
According to Politico, State Department and Pentagon officials began holding briefings in June for congressional staff working on key national security committees. Further briefings are also expected.
