The United States is investigating reports that parts of its advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet programme were diverted to Hong Kong while being shipped from Australia to the US. The incident last week has prompted questions over whether China may have gained access to components of one of Washington’s most sophisticated weapons systems. There has been no suggestion so far from US or Australian authorities that Beijing deliberately diverted the shipment or accessed the technology.
On Tuesday, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said the components involved were not “sensitive”. China’s Foreign Ministry says it was not aware of the incident. So, what happened and how serious was this incident?
On Saturday, US media outlet Politico reported that a consignment of F-35 components, including a cockpit canopy designed with radar-deflecting technology and a weapons-bay door, was unexpectedly rerouted to Hong Kong after leaving Australia. The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Programme Office said it was aware of “a shipment issue” involving components from the fighter jet and was working with US authorities and industry partners to recover them. Marles confirmed the incident and revealed that Australia was helping the US and Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s main contractor, to investigate what happened.
A warehouse at Williamtown, north of Sydney, serves as an Asia-Pacific hub supporting the warplanes. Neither the Pentagon nor Australian authorities have publicly explained why the shipment went to Hong Kong and there is no evidence showing that China was responsible for its diversion. While Lockheed Martin manages the global spare-parts programme, two sources told the news agency that the programme itself is controlled by the US military.
Australian defence officials have previously said Canberra does not control or direct the export of F-35 components from the Williamtown warehouse. Alex Gatopoulos, Al Jazeera’s defence editor, said the international nature of the programme makes its logistics somewhat complex. Thirteen countries, apart from the US, fly the F-35, so the logistics network supplying each air force is vast,” he said.
Lockheed Martin Australia declined to discuss specific shipping procedures for security reasons but said every shipment is handled with “utmost diligence” and in accordance with US regulations. The incident is serious enough to warrant a Pentagon investigation to try to recover the components. However, Australian Defence Minister Marles played down the security implications of the incident.
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