F-35 parts diversion leaves Australia and US tracing shipment
The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office is working with US authorities and industry partners to recover components rerouted to Hong Kong. Officials have not explained how the diversion occurred.
Australia and the United States are investigating how F-35 components sent from Australia to the US were rerouted to Hong Kong. The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office says it is working with US authorities and industry partners to retrieve the parts and investigate the incident.
Al Jazeera reports the shipment included a cockpit canopy and a weapons-bay door. Neither US nor Australian authorities have publicly explained why it was diverted or confirmed whether the components have been recovered.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia was examining what happened at its end and assisting the US and Lockheed Martin with the investigation. He described the components as not sensitive, while saying the matter would be managed by the US and the aircraft’s main contractor.
The episode has drawn attention to the F-35 spare-parts network, which spans multiple countries and contractors. Australia operates 72 F-35s and hosts a warehouse at Williamtown that supports the Asia-Pacific network.
There is no evidence reported that China caused the diversion or accessed the technology. China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the incident. The circumstances and any security implications remain unclear.
