WASHINGTON: Chinese authorities are reportedly holding pieces of the world's most advanced stealth fighter after a UPS shipment of F-35 components was inexplicably rerouted to Hong Kong, a diversion that has stirred alarm in Washington and Canberra.
A cockpit canopy and a weapons bay door were being sent from Australia to the United States in late May when the shipment was diverted, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources. Both parts were coated with radar-absorbing material that enhances the jet's stealth, the sources said. It remains unclear why the cargo ended up in Hong Kong.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters Tuesday that Canberra knew of the shipment and was working with the U.S. and Lockheed Martin to determine how it could help the investigation. He said it was his understanding that no sensitive parts were in the missing shipment, CNN reported. That account appears at odds with the Bloomberg sources' description of the stealth coatings.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter built by Lockheed Martin, and Washington tightly restricts its sale to its closest partners and allies. In 2019, the U.S. expelled Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara bought Russia's S-400 air defense system, over fears the Russian system could be used to gather intelligence on the aircraft's capabilities.
Beijing has long had the jet in its sights. In 2024, U.S. prosecutors said China had targeted F-35-related military data in past espionage cases.
The diversion comes at a politically fraught moment. The U.S. approved a $24 billion sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia last week, but some members of Congress have already voiced concern that the technology could end up in Chinese hands. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., said U.S. intelligence has warned the sale "could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party."
Australia and Belgium are among the countries that fly the F-35, alongside the U.S. itself. Japan, Canada and Singapore have also ordered the aircraft. The U.S. also used F-35s during the conflict with Iran, and one jet was damaged by enemy fire, according to the Department of Defense.
