Bloomberg: China obtains sensitive parts of US F-35 fighter in incident

According to Kurdistan, Bloomberg reported, citing informed sources, that a shipment including the cockpit cover and weapons bay door of an Australian F-35 fighter jet was sent to the United States in late May for inspection, possible repair or destruction; but never reached its destination.

The shipment, which was transported by UPS, stopped in South Korea on its way and then was sent to Hong Kong. It is not yet clear whether the diversion of the shipment was intentional or due to a mistake.Bloomberg sources say the Chinese government has received the parts and has not yet returned them to the US or Australia.

The two parts in question are products of Lockheed Martin and, according to Bloomberg sources, are coated with radar-absorbing materials, which play a role in reducing the detectability of the F-35 fighter.

However, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles had previously said that based on the information he had, the missing shipment did not include sensitive equipment or parts. This difference in assessments has now become one of the focuses of the investigation.

Pentagon: We are trying to recover the parts

The US Department of Defense announced that it is aware of the problem in the transfer of “unusable F-35 parts” and is working with American agencies and industry partners to recover them.The Pentagon also announced the launch of an investigation into how the shipment was rerouted and new security measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents. At least two committees in the US Congress are also examining how the parts were transported to Hong Kong and then to China.

The Australian Department of Defense has also launched a separate investigation into all the steps involved in the transfer of the shipment from Australian soil. Marles said his country remains confident in the mechanism of participation in the F-35 program and the processes carried out through Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin also announced that the method of transporting the parts is determined in accordance with US Department of Defense regulations and that the carrier was selected in accordance with the criteria specified by the government. The company announced that it was strengthening oversight mechanisms to prevent a repeat of similar incidents.Australia is a major hub for the maintenance, repair and supply of F-35 fighter jets in the Indo-Pacific region. The news of the parts being transferred to Hong Kong has raised concerns about the security of the global supply chain and the possibility of China gaining access to technologies related to the fighter jet's stealth capabilities.