Pentagon investigating how parts of F-35 stealth fighter jet arrived in Hong Kong instead of U.S.
by Mike Glenn · The Washington TimesThe Defense Department is investigating how a shipment of parts for its most advanced fighter jet reportedly ended up in Chinese custody after being mistakenly delivered to Hong Kong.
Pentagon officials said the F-35 Joint Program Office knew about a shipment issue involving “unserviceable” F-35 Lightning II components and was working to retrieve them and prevent a recurrence.
The shipment of F-35 parts was routed to Hong Kong after leaving Australia in May, according to Politico. Australia is among 12 countries that operate the F-35 in their fleets.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that his agency is assisting in the U.S.-led investigation of how the F-35 parts were diverted to Hong Kong. But he downplayed the significance of the apparent security breach.
“My understanding is that there is a sense of comfort that we’re not talking about sensitive equipment here or sensitive parts,” Mr. Marles said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Ultimately, though, this is an issue which is going to be managed by the United States and Lockheed.”
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft program.
The fifth-generation F-35 is the Pentagon’s largest procurement program. The stealth fighter jet can carry out a variety of missions, including close air support, counter-air defense and anti-surface warfare.
The Pentagon plans to acquire F-35s for the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps through the mid-2040s, according to the Congressional Research Service.
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