The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office said it had become aware of a problem involving the shipment of unusable F-35 Lightning II components. US officials and industry partners are working to retrieve the parts, investigate the incident and prevent similar situations.
Some F-35 parts sent from Australia to the United States this summer were allegedly diverted to Hong Kong while being transported through an intermediary company for repair. Three people familiar with the matter said the reason for the disruption was unknown, and the current location of the parts had not been established.
The shipment allegedly also included a cockpit canopy containing classified technology. The US Congress was alleged to have launched an investigation over concerns that critical components of the F-35 fighter jet system may have come within China’s reach.
US authorities work on the incident
The F-35 Joint Program Office said its review of the shipment problem was ongoing. The office said it was working with US officials and industry partners to recover the components and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Lockheed Martin provides no details
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of F-35 fighter jets, said it would not disclose information about the current status of the shipments for security reasons. The company said all shipments were carried out with the utmost care and with security measures in place.