{"id":5403,"date":"2026-09-24T13:56:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=5403"},"modified":"2026-09-24T13:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T13:56:34","slug":"has-china-received-us-f-35-parts-by-diverting-an-australian-shipment-military-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=5403","title":{"rendered":"Has China received US F-35 parts by diverting an Australian shipment? | Military News"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>3 Minute, 54 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>


\n<\/p>\n

\n

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.<\/p>\n

The incident last week has prompted questions over whether China may have gained access to components of one of Washington\u2019s most sophisticated weapons systems.<\/p>\n

\n

Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n

list of 2 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n

There has been no suggestion so far from US or Australian authorities that Beijing deliberately diverted the shipment or accessed the technology.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Australia\u2019s Defence Minister Richard Marles said the components involved were not \u201csensitive\u201d. China\u2019s Foreign Ministry says it was not aware of the incident.<\/p>\n

So, what happened and how serious was this incident?<\/p>\n

What do we know?<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon\u2019s F-35 Joint Programme Office said it was aware of \u201ca shipment issue\u201d involving components from the fighter jet and was working with US authorities and industry partners to recover them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are actively working with US authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence,\u201d the office said.<\/p>\n

Marles confirmed the incident and revealed that Australia was helping the US and Lockheed Martin, the F-35\u2019s main contractor, to investigate what happened. \u201cWe are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end,\u201d he said. \u201cUltimately, though, this is an issue which is going to be managed by the United States and by Lockheed in terms of what has occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australia has 72 F-35s and is one of seven countries outside the US which share a global pool of spare parts. A warehouse at Williamtown, north of Sydney, serves as an Asia-Pacific hub supporting the warplanes.<\/p>\n

Why was the shipment diverted to Hong Kong?<\/h2>\n

It is unclear. 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.<\/p>\n

While Lockheed Martin manages the global spare-parts programme, two sources told the AFP 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.<\/p>\n

Alex Gatopoulos, Al Jazeera\u2019s defence editor, said the international nature of the programme makes its logistics somewhat complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe F-35 programme, whilst American, is supplied by subcontractors from 11 countries. Thirteen countries, apart from the US, fly the F-35, so the logistics network supplying each air force is vast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lockheed Martin Australia declined to discuss specific shipping procedures for security reasons but said every shipment is handled with \u201cutmost diligence\u201d and in accordance with US regulations.<\/p>\n

\"Interactive_F35_
(Al Jazeera)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How serious is this?<\/h2>\n

The incident is serious enough to warrant a Pentagon investigation to try to recover the components.<\/p>\n

However, Australian Defence Minister Marles played down the security implications of the incident. \u201cWe\u2019re not talking about sensitive equipment here or sensitive parts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The concern stems from the F-35\u2019s status as a fifth-generation stealth fighter incorporating stealth coatings, advanced radar, sensors and networking capabilities. More than 1,200 have been built, with 19 countries placing orders, according to the US Congressional Research Service.<\/p>\n

China has also previously been accused of seeking information about the programme. A US Defense Science Board report released in 2013 alleged Chinese cyberattacks had accessed information from several Pentagon programmes, including the Joint Strike Fighter programme.<\/p>\n

For years, US officials have warned about what they describe as an espionage threat from the Chinese state, while prosecutors have brought criminal cases against intelligence operatives from Beijing accused of stealing classified government material and proprietary commercial data, including via unlawful cyber intrusions.<\/p>\n

In January, a former US Navy sailor<\/a> received a prison term of more than 16 years after being found guilty of selling technical and operational manuals for vessels and naval systems to an intelligence officer acting on behalf of China.<\/p>\n

However, Al Jazeera\u2019s Defence Editor Alex Gatopoulos cautioned against assuming that possession of individual components would provide Beijing with any major technological advantages.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst China has a reputation for intense industrial espionage, its own stealth fighter jet programme is advanced, with sixth-generation prototypes coming online,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s debatable how much actual information China would glean from smaller, non-essential parts from an F-35.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s most sophisticated weapons systems. Recommended Stories…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t