Australia confirms F-35 fighter jet parts were mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong

By Alex Stambaugh, Hilary Whiteman, CNN

(CNN) — Australia’s defense minister said Tuesday that F-35 fighter jet parts had been mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong, following reports US lawmakers were investigating the mishap amid concerns about the possibility of China getting access to sensitive US military technology.

“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,” Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters in Adelaide.

Politico first reported last week that the F-35 parts shipment bound for the United States for repairs were rerouted in transit from Australia this summer, citing three people familiar with the matter.

An intermediary was transporting the parts on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the outlet reported.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the shipment was rerouted or how it ended up in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.

US officials have long been concerned about China’s ability to obtain sensitive information on advanced American weapons, including F-35 design information.

A US Air Force report in June detailed how Beijing has closely watched US progress, trying to replicate its advantages while scaling up development in stealth aircraft and anti-stealth air defenses, as China seeks to aggressively expand its military power.

According to the Politico report, the incident has sparked a series of briefings for congressional staff on key national security committees as it investigates the diversion. State Department and Pentagon officials briefed congressional staff in June, with multiple additional briefings expected in the coming weeks, it reported.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed the disappearance of some components, with a Department of Defense spokesperson telling CNN that Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office was “aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components.”

The fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II is largely seen as the world’s most advanced fighter jet, with Lockheed billing it as the “most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft.”

“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 Defense Department spokesperson told CNN.

Marles said Tuesday it was his understanding that no sensitive parts were in the missing shipment.

“We are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end, but the point I would make here is that we are confident about the way in which we’ve engaged with the program,” Marles said.

“This is ultimately a matter for the US and Lockheed, as its prime contractor and the contractor that is responsible for managing the global supply chain,” he added. CNN has reached out to the Australian Defence Force for more detail.

In a statement to CNN, Lockheed said it couldn’t discuss the status of shipments for security reasons but said it follows regulations set by the US Defense Department and the Defense Logistics Agency.

“Our teams handle every shipment with the utmost diligence and safeguards to ensure the integrity of the F-35 program and the security of our allied partners,” Lockheed said.

CNN has reached out to the State Department and the US House and Senate Armed Services committees.

The Hong Kong government declined to comment to CNN. The US consulate in Hong Kong directed CNN to the State Department.

There are only eight F-35 partner countries: the US, UK, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway, according to Lockheed’s website. Australia received its first F-35 in 2014, with its Air Force reaching full operational capability in 2025, the website said.

Several other countries have F-35 programs, including Japan, South Korea, Israel, Poland, Greece, among others.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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