Reports have emerged that sensitive technology linked to the F-35 fighter jet was allegedly diverted to Hong Kong earlier this summer, prompting a US congressional investigation. The initial report was published by Politico on September 18, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.

According to these sources, a shipment of F-35 components originally intended for repair in the United States was rerouted while crossing the Pacific Ocean from Australia. The Pentagon has confirmed that certain parts from this shipment have gone missing. A middleman handling logistics on behalf of manufacturer Lockheed Martin was responsible for the transport, yet the cargo ultimately ended up in Hong Kong. It remains unclear why the shipment was redirected or who currently holds the components.

Officials from the State Department and the Pentagon briefed congressional staff on the situation in June, with additional briefings expected over the coming weeks. Two of the sources revealed that the cargo included an F-35 canopy, which covers the cockpit and is designed with stealth technology accessible only to the US and its allies. Should an adversary obtain such a canopy, they could study the components and potentially reverse-engineer this highly valuable technology.

The F-35 Joint Program Office released a statement acknowledging "transportation issues involving a batch of non-functional F-35 Lightning II parts." The office added that it is working with US authorities and industry partners to "recover these parts, investigate the incident, and implement safeguards to prevent similar occurrences in the future."

The global supply chain for the F-35 is vast, relying on facilities in multiple countries for shipping and maintenance. While Australia hosts an F-35 repair center, no facility currently exists that can service the canopy. Lockheed Martin, which oversees the program's overall supply chain and uses commercial transporters, declined to discuss shipping details for security reasons but affirmed compliance with all US regulations governing aircraft parts transport. The company stated, "Our team handles every shipment with the highest degree of care and implements safeguards to ensure the integrity of the F-35 program and the safety of our allies and partners."

The canopy is crucial to the F-35's stealth capabilities. It is an acrylic transparent cover treated with a thin, radar-absorbing coating that helps the aircraft evade enemy radar detection. According to the US Air Force, this stealth protection can degrade over time, meaning the more than 1,300 F-35s produced may require canopy repair or replacement. The F-35 program involves participating countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Denmark, Norway, and Poland, operating under a unique management system for aircraft parts. Nations can draw from shared spare parts pools stored globally, with ownership of these parts residing with the US Department of Defense until they are installed on aircraft.

Despite increased oversight of the F-35 supply chain in recent years, the Pentagon does not handle accounting for parts in these shared pools; that responsibility falls to Lockheed Martin. A 2023 report from the Government Accountability Office found that over one million F-35 spare parts were unaccounted for over the preceding five years. The oversight body concluded that the Pentagon could not review losses valued in the tens of millions of dollars because the information was held by Lockheed Martin. The report noted, "The F-35 Joint Program Office does not track these spare parts or enter them into an asset accounting system capable of recording real-time changes in property records; this information is maintained by the prime contractor."

Spare parts shortages have often forced F-35s to remain grounded. A separate GAO report from this year indicated the F-35 has not met performance targets and shows "a downward trend" despite rising sustainment costs. The program is projected to become the most expensive defense project globally, with the Pentagon estimating nearly $2 trillion in lifetime costs.

The alleged diversion of this cargo to Hong Kong has raised concerns about its potential to fall under Beijing's influence. J.J. Gertler, a former staffer on the House Armed Services Committee and former military aviation analyst at the Congressional Research Service, asserted that China has actively sought F-35 data through electronic espionage methods. The State Department declined to comment on the matter. China's embassy in the US stated it was unaware of the incident, and a Hong Kong government spokesman declined to comment on individual cases.

This is not the first such allegation. In 2015, disclosures from former CIA contractor Edward Snowden suggested Chinese cyber spies had allegedly stolen F-35 design intelligence. At the time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei dismissed such accusations as baseless. He emphasized that China itself is a victim of cyberattacks and called for international cooperation to create a peaceful, secure, open, and cooperative cyberspace. Hong Lei pointed out that some countries have less-than-honorable track records on cyberattacks and urged against making unfounded accusations, advocating instead for collaborative efforts to prevent hacking activities.