Key components used in the U.S. stealth fighter F-35 have reportedly been delivered to Hong Kong.
According to Chinese media outlet Observer Network, citing Politico, some F-35 parts that were supposed to be sent from Australia to the U.S. for repairs deviated from their route and arrived in Hong Kong during transportation across the Pacific this summer. The U.S. Department of Defense has also confirmed that the whereabouts of some of the parts are unknown and that an investigation is underway.
The components were transported by a broker on behalf of Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, and it has been determined that they arrived in Hong Kong. The reasons for the change in route and the current holder of the parts have not yet been confirmed. Officials from the U.S. State and Defense Departments first reported this matter to congressional staff in June, and it has been kept confidential since then.
Notably, the cargo that arrived in Hong Kong reportedly included a cockpit cover for the F-35. This cover is a component that incorporates stealth technology accessible only to the U.S. and its allies, and if adversaries obtain it, they could potentially reverse-engineer the related technology. The cockpit cover is a crucial part of the F-35's stealth capabilities, featuring a thin radar-absorbing material coated on a transparent acrylic resin surface to help evade enemy radar detection.
The F-35 supply chain operates as a large global system, with various countries sharing responsibilities for parts transportation and repairs. The F-35 program includes participation from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Denmark, Norway, and Poland, among others, with participating nations utilizing shared spare parts depots located around the world. Overall supply chain management is handled by Lockheed Martin, which transports parts through commercial carriers.
Politico noted that the misdelivery of this cargo to Hong Kong raises the possibility of it falling under Beijing's influence. J.J. Gutler, a former military aviation analyst for the Congressional Research Service and a former staff member of the House Armed Services Committee, stated that it is already known that China has attempted to acquire F-35-related data through electronic intelligence collection. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the matter. The Chinese embassy in the U.S. stated it was unaware of the situation, and a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said they do not comment on individual cases.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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