China seized diverted F-35 stealth parts, Bloomberg reports

The Chinese government has taken possession of sensitive F-35 stealth fighter jet components that were diverted to Hong Kong while being shipped from Australia to the United States, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, escalating what had been a murky logistics mishap into a full-blown national security crisis.bloomberg

The revelation that Beijing now holds the parts — a cockpit canopy and a weapons-bay door, both coated with radar-absorbing material central to the jet's stealth capabilities — comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in the U.S. for a summit with President Donald Trump. Australia's defense minister, Richard Marles, confirmed Tuesday that the parts had been mistakenly rerouted, saying Canberra was "working with the United States and Lockheed in terms of how we can assist in this investigation."timesnownews+1

How the Parts Went Missing

UPS United Parcel Service, Inc. ↘ 0.05% was shipping the components on behalf of an intermediary working for F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin ↗ 0.45% when the shipment was rerouted in late May, according to people briefed on the matter. The parts, deemed unserviceable and destined for inspection and possible repair or disposal in the U.S., stopped in South Korea before being redirected to Hong Kong. The reasons for the diversion remain unclear, as does whether it was intentional or accidental.bloomberg+1

Politico first reported the incident on September 18, prompting congressional inquiries. The Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office confirmed it was "aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components" and said it was "actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident, and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence."military+1

Stealth Technology at Stake

The cockpit canopy is of particular concern. It is an acrylic bubble coated with a thin layer of transparent radar-absorbent material that helps conceal the aircraft from enemy radar — technology available only to the U.S. and its allies. Two people told Bloomberg that an adversary could study the components and potentially reverse-engineer the stealth technology.timesnownews+1

The incident has prompted a series of briefings for congressional staff on key national security committees, with State Department and Pentagon officials first briefing lawmakers in June. Additional briefings are expected in the coming weeks.yahoo

Supply Chain Under Scrutiny

The diversion has drawn renewed attention to the F-35's sprawling supply chain. Lockheed Martin manages the program's logistics and uses commercial shipping providers to transport parts across a network of international maintenance depots. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found that more than one million F-35 spare parts had gone missing over a five-year period, with prime contractors — not the Pentagon — maintaining the tracking records.military

Marles said it was his understanding that no sensitive parts were in the missing shipment, a claim at odds with Bloomberg's reporting that both components carried classified stealth coatings. Lockheed said its "teams handle every shipment with the utmost diligence and safeguards to ensure the integrity of the F-35 program."yahoo+2