Sensitive F-35 Parts Diverted to Hong Kong, Prompting US Investigation

A shipment of sensitive F-35 fighter jet components traveling from Australia to the United States for repairs was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong this summer, prompting a U.S. congressional investigation and concerns that advanced stealth technology could potentially fall into the hands of Chinese Communist Party authorities.

The Pentagon has confirmed that a shipment of F-35 components encountered a transportation problem, while the House Armed Services Committee said it has received multiple briefings on the incident. However, there is currently no public evidence that Chinese authorities obtained or examined the missing components.

F-35 components diverted to Hong Kong

The incident was first reported Sept. 18 by Politico, which cited three people familiar with the matter. The shipment was traveling across the Pacific from Australia to the United States, where the components were to undergo repairs, when it was rerouted to Hong Kong. An intermediary was transporting the equipment on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, and it remains unclear why the shipment was diverted or who currently possesses the parts.

The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office confirmed the incident, saying it was “aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 components.” The office said it is working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve the equipment, determine what happened and put safeguards in place to prevent a recurrence.

The House Armed Services Committee has also confirmed that it is investigating. Committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan told Bloomberg that “the committee is aware of this issue and we’ve received multiple briefings on it,” adding that lawmakers are continuing their oversight of the incident. Program officials were expected to provide another briefing to congressional staff as early as Sept. 22.

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The Hong Kong government declined to discuss the case. A spokesperson told the South China Morning Post that the government would not comment on individual cases.

Missing canopy raises concerns over stealth technology

Among the components reportedly diverted was an F-35 cockpit canopy containing technology associated with the aircraft’s low-observable, or stealth, capabilities. People familiar with the shipment told Politico that an adversary possessing the physical component could potentially study it and attempt to reverse-engineer aspects of the technology.

The F-35 canopy is considerably more sophisticated than an ordinary cockpit cover. According to the U.S. Air Force, the stretched acrylic canopy is coated with a thin layer of transparent radar-absorbent material that helps conceal the aircraft from enemy radar. The coating can degrade over time, requiring affected canopies to be repaired or replaced.

J.J. Gertler, a former House Armed Services Committee staff member and Congressional Research Service military aviation analyst, told Politico that China has “been aggressively trying to get F-35 data through electronic espionage, among other means.” Even if China already possessed technical specifications, he said, having a physical component could “verify or refine whatever they already had learned.”

Australia serves as an important Indo-Pacific hub for F-35 parts and maintenance, but its facilities are not currently equipped to repair the aircraft’s canopies, according to reporting by Deutsche Welle. Lockheed Martin manages the F-35 program’s global supply chain and uses commercial shipping providers to move components between facilities.

Lockheed Martin said it could not discuss individual shipments for security reasons but maintained that it follows U.S. regulations governing aircraft components. “Our teams handle every shipment with the utmost diligence and safeguards,” the company said, citing the need to protect the F-35 program and allied partners.

China has previously targeted US military technology

The latest incident has drawn particular scrutiny because U.S. authorities have documented previous Chinese efforts to obtain sensitive American military and defense technology.

In 2016, Chinese national Su Bin pleaded guilty to participating in a years-long conspiracy to hack U.S. defense contractors and steal sensitive military and export-controlled information. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Su worked with hackers linked to China’s military who stole information concerning advanced American military aircraft. The Justice Department said the conspirators sought to “steal designs for cutting-edge military aircraft.”

Concerns surrounding the F-35 itself date back even further. In 2009, U.S. officials acknowledged that portions of the F-35 program had been penetrated by cyber intruders, although the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin disputed suggestions that the most sensitive classified technology had been compromised. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said at the time, “We know we are probed on this every day.”

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has documented numerous Chinese cyberespionage campaigns and noted reports that files related to the F-35’s design, performance and electronic systems were compromised in earlier intrusions. The organization has also documented cybertheft targeting other defense and aerospace technologies.

More recently, U.S. prosecutors have accused hacking groups linked to Chinese intelligence agencies of targeting American defense contractors and other organizations holding sensitive information. A 2025 Justice Department case alleged that hackers connected to Chinese government entities stole data from U.S. technology companies, defense contractors and other targets.