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Australia confirms F-35 fighter jet parts were mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong
Australiaâs defense minister said Tuesday that F-35 fighter jet parts had been mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong, following reports US lawmakers were investigating the mishap.
âWeâve been made aware of this, and weâre obviously working with the United States and Lockheed in terms of how we can assist in this investigation,â Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters in Adelaide.
Politico first reported last week that the F-35 parts shipment bound for the United States for repairs were rerouted in transit from Australia this summer, citing three people familiar with the matter.
An intermediary was transporting the parts on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the outlet reported.
Australia confirms F-35 jet parts went missing in Hong Kong, sparking China security fears
Parts of an F-35 aircraft went missing in Hong Kong after being shipped from Australia. (Supplied: ADF)
A shipment of F-35 jet parts were unexpectedly sent to Hong Kong after leaving Australia earlier this year.
That sparked concerns that China might have accessed technological secrets from the US jet fighter program.
Defence Minister Richard Marles played down the significance of the apparent security breach and said the US and Lockheed Martin were investigating.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has confirmed Australia is helping the US investigate how F-35 jet fighter parts were mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong, but says no technologically "sensitive" components have been lost.
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Classified Australian F-35 parts disappear in Hong Kong
First reported in Politico and later confirmed by the Pentagon, the shipment of components from Australia was bound for the United States for repairs before it was rerouted to Hong Kong and disappeared.
The shipment reportedly included an F-35 canopy, which is covered in a sensitive radar-absorbent material that degrades over time and requires subsequent repair or replacement. The nature of prior generations of radar-resistant canopy materials, such as gold used on the F-16 fighter jets from the late 1980s, were classified.
Australia does not possess a facility capable of repairing the canopies for the RAAF’s fleet of 72 F-35 fighters.
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