WASHINGTON / CANBERRA — The United States and Australia are investigating how two unserviceable components from an Australian F-35 fighter jet were diverted to Hong Kong while being shipped to the United States.
F-35 Parts Diverted During Shipment
The shipment left Australia in late May 2026 and included a cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from a Royal Australian Air Force F-35. The components contained radar-absorbing material associated with the aircraft’s stealth features.
The parts were being sent to the United States for inspection, possible repair or disposal because Australia does not currently have facilities to repair the specialized F-35 canopies.
The components were transported by a commercial intermediary on behalf of Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s primary contractor. Reports identified the carrier as UPS. The shipment stopped in South Korea before being routed to Hong Kong. The reason for the diversion remains unclear.
Chinese Government Took Possession
According to people briefed on the matter cited by Bloomberg, the Chinese government later took possession of the components and has not returned them. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.
The diversion was first reported by Politico on September 18, 2026.
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office confirmed that it was tracking a “shipment issue” involving unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components. The office said it was working with US authorities and industry partners to recover the parts, investigate the incident and introduce safeguards against similar incidents.
Australia Assisting Investigation
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the incident on September 22. He said Australia was examining what happened on its side and assisting the United States and Lockheed Martin.
Marles said there was a “sense of comfort” that the components were not considered sensitive equipment or sensitive parts. He added that the matter would ultimately be managed by the United States and Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin said it handles aircraft-part shipments in accordance with US Defense Department regulations and continues to cooperate with the US government. The company has not disclosed further details about the shipment.
China’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy said they were not aware of the incident. US and Australian authorities have not publicly suggested that Beijing deliberately diverted the shipment.
F-35 Global Supply Chain
Australia operates 72 F-35s and maintains a spare-parts warehouse at Williamtown, north of Sydney, which serves as an Asia-Pacific hub for the F-35 program.
The F-35 program uses a shared global pool of spare parts involving the United States and partner countries. The international supply network includes multiple countries, making logistics and tracking more complex.
Previous F-35 Parts Tracking Concerns
The incident also comes amid previous concerns about F-35 spare-parts tracking.
A 2023 US Government Accountability Office report found that more than 1 million F-35 spare parts valued at over $85 million had gone missing over a five-year period. The GAO identified inadequate tracking visibility as a major factor behind the discrepancies.
US State Department and Pentagon officials have briefed congressional staff on national security committees about the latest diversion. Investigations are continuing in the United States and Australia as authorities work to recover the components and determine how the shipment was redirected to Hong Kong.
——— End of Article ———
