This file photo shows a F-35A Lightning II aircraft at the Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Missing F-35 fighter parts diverted from Australia to Hong Kong are not “sensitive,” Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sept. 22, confirming Canberra was helping to investigate the incident.
The United States operates more than 800 F-35 jets, its most costly weapons system, which is also flown by many of its defense allies, including Australia.
News outlet Politico said a shipment of F-35 parts, including a canopy with radar-resistant technology, had been unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong after leaving Australia, raising the possibility that China had accessed the weapons system.
Marles confirmed the incident to reporters on Sept. 22, saying Australia was working with the United States and its prime contractor for the F-35 program, Lockheed Martin, in an investigation.
“We are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end,” Marles said, adding that Canberra was “confident about the way in which we’ve engaged with the program,” without elaborating.
“We’re not talking about sensitive equipment here or sensitive parts. Ultimately, though, this is an issue which is going to be managed by the United States and by Lockheed in terms of what has occurred.”
Lockheed Martin was responsible for managing the F-35 global supply chain, Marles said.
Australia has 72 F-35 jets and is among seven countries outside the United States sharing a global pool of spare parts, including Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Britain.
Another 12 countries have purchased the fighter jet, including Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
Politico said Lockheed Martin had used a third company to ship the components, which were bound for the United States but ended up in Hong Kong instead.
