Pentagon Investigates F-35 Parts Diverted to Hong Kong

The Pentagon and US lawmakers are investigating how sensitive components for the F-35 fighter jet, including a canopy that incorporates stealth design technology, were diverted to Hong Kong this summer while being shipped from Australia to the United States for repair. The shipment was being handled by an intermediary working for prime contractor Lockheed Martin and was rerouted while crossing the Pacific, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office has confirmed that some components went missing and eventually turned up in Hong Kong, though their current custody and location remain unclear. There is no public evidence that Chinese authorities have obtained the parts, but the episode has raised concern in Washington that Beijing could gain access to classified stealth technology if the components fell into the wrong hands. The canopy is considered particularly sensitive because its design is central to the jet's low-observable, radar-evading capabilities.

Congressional staff on key national security committees have received briefings on the matter from Pentagon and State Department officials. The Pentagon says it is working with US authorities and industry partners to recover the components, determine how the diversion occurred, and put safeguards in place to prevent a repeat incident.