Politico reported on 18/9, citing three informed sources, that the incident occurred last summer. An intermediary unit, commissioned by manufacturer Lockheed Martin, was transporting a batch of F-35 fighter jet equipment from Australia to the US for repair. While crossing the Pacific, these components were unexpectedly diverted to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The US State Department and the Pentagon immediately convened a series of meetings since early 6 to brief key national security committees in Congress. More meetings are expected in the coming weeks. The Pentagon confirmed that some components "have gone missing." The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) under the US Department of Defense stated it was aware of the issue during the transport of "unserviceable components" of the F-35 fighter jet.
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A US F-35A fighter jet flying in Florida in 6. Photo: USAF |
"We are working with US officials and partners to recover these components, investigate the incident, and establish safeguards to prevent similar occurrences in the future," the JPO said. The Chinese Embassy in the US stated it "was unaware of the incident." It remains unclear who currently possesses the components or the reason for their diversion.
According to two sources, the shipment included a cockpit canopy containing stealth technology accessible only to the US and its allies. The F-35 cockpit canopy, made of acrylic plastic, is coated with a thin, transparent radar-absorbing material. This component is critical to the aircraft's radar evasion capabilities. The US Air Force stated that this protective layer can degrade over time, requiring operators to send it back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement.
If adversaries of the US obtain this component, they could study it to determine its stealth characteristics and exploit F-35 weaknesses. They might even reverse engineer the technology for domestic application. China is reportedly conducting large-scale espionage operations targeting secret US programs, including the F-35 fighter jet. J. J. Gertler, a former staff member of the House Armed Services Committee and an aviation analyst for the Congressional Research Service, noted, "Even if they already have specifications and other data on that component, possessing the complete equipment still provides more information for study, as well as to verify and refine what they already know."
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A US pilot lowering the F-35 cockpit canopy at Lakenheath Air Base in the UK in 12/2025. Photo: USAF |
The F-35 fighter jet's supply chain is a vast global network, relying on facilities in many countries for parts transport and repair. Australia has F-35 fighter jet maintenance depots, but none have the capability to repair cockpit canopies. The US Department of Defense has increased oversight of the supply chain in recent years, but the agency does not inventory replacement components in stock because Lockheed Martin manages them. A report released by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2023 revealed that more than 1 million F-35 fighter jet replacement components had gone missing in the preceding 5 years. The GAO concluded that the Pentagon could not account for tens of millions of USD in lost parts because Lockheed Martin controlled the information.
Pham Giang (According to Politico)
