China in possession of F-35 stealth jet parts diverted to Hong Kong
An intermediary was transporting the parts on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin. It wasn’t immediately clear why the shipment was rerouted or how it ended up in Hong Kong. The F-35 is one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets.
The Chinese government has taken possession of F-35 stealth aircraft parts that were diverted to Hong Kong while being sent to the US from Australia, Bloomberg reported.
UPS was shipping a cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from an Australian military F-35 being sent to the US for inspection and possible repair or disposal, sources told Bloomberg.
The canopy is an acrylic bubble that tops the cockpit and is coated with a thin layer of transparent radar absorbent material to hide the plane from enemy radar, according to Politico.
The plane stopped in South Korea en route to the US and from there it was routed to Hong Kong — it's not immediately clear why it stopped in South Korea or why it was diverted to Hong Kong.
The F-35 is one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets. Categorized as a fifth-generation fighter, its technologies include stealth coatings, advanced radar and sensors.
Australia has indicated that the jet parts had been mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong, according to a report by CNN.
“We’ve been made aware of this, and we’re obviously working with the United States and Lockheed in terms of how we can assist in this investigation,” Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
The F-35 Joint Program Office said that it and the US Defense Department are aware of “a shipment issue” with the plane components.
“We are actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident, and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence,” the F-35 Joint Program Office said.
