Australia says F-35 fighter components that went missing after a shipment was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong were not sensitive, playing down concerns that technology from the stealth aircraft could have been exposed to China.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed on Tuesday that Canberra is assisting the United States and Lockheed Martin with the investigation into the incident, first reported by Politico last week.
“We're not talking about sensitive equipment here or sensitive parts,” Marles told reporters in Adelaide.
He said Australia was examining what occurred at its end of the supply chain but described the investigation as ultimately a matter for the United States and Lockheed Martin, which manages the F-35 global supply chain.
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The minister did not say what components were lost or explain why they were not considered sensitive.
Parts have not been recovered
There is also no public indication that the missing equipment has been recovered. The F-35 Joint Program Office has said it is working with US authorities and industry partners to retrieve the components, investigate how the incident occurred and introduce safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
According to Politico, the shipment was traveling from Australia to the United States for repairs when it was diverted to Hong Kong while crossing the Pacific. A third-party company was transporting the equipment on behalf of Lockheed Martin.
Why the shipment was rerouted remains unclear, as does the current location of the missing components.
Politico reported that the shipment included an F-35 cockpit canopy, citing two people familiar with the incident. The canopy incorporates materials that contribute to the fighter's low-observable characteristics.
Marles did not dispute that a canopy or canopy components were among the equipment, but his description of the missing parts as non-sensitive contrasts with concerns raised after the incident became public.
An Australian defense analyst interviewed by ABC said the distinction could depend on exactly which parts of the canopy were involved. A canopy assembly includes multiple components, some of which may have little technological value by themselves.
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No evidence has emerged that Chinese authorities or the People's Liberation Army obtained or examined the missing equipment.
Lockheed manages global parts pool
The incident also shows the unusual international logistics system supporting the F-35. Australia operates 72 F-35A fighters and is one of several countries participating in a global pool of spare parts for the aircraft.
A facility at Williamtown, north of Newcastle, serves as an Asia-Pacific inventory hub supporting F-35 operations in the region. It can supply aircraft operated by countries including Japan, South Korea and Singapore, as well as US and British forces deployed in the region.
Australian defense officials told parliament last year that Lockheed Martin moves F-35 components into and out of the facility and that Australia does not control or direct the export of parts from the global pool.
Components can be transported aboard commercial aircraft and travel through Asian airports on their way between F-35 operators and maintenance facilities.
Marles stressed on Tuesday that Lockheed Martin, as the US program's prime contractor, is responsible for managing that global supply chain.
Lockheed Martin has declined to discuss the status of the missing shipment or its shipping procedures, citing security considerations.
The company said it follows US regulations for transporting aircraft components and uses safeguards intended to protect the F-35 program and participating countries.
US Congress continues investigation
The US House Armed Services Committee is also investigating the incident and has received multiple briefings.
The Pentagon and State Department began briefing congressional staff on the case months before it became public. The F-35 program office has not identified the missing components or explained whether the description “unserviceable” means they were damaged beyond repair.
The original report raised particular concerns because Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, which already operates its own stealth fighters.
China has fielded the Chengdu J-20 and is developing the smaller Shenyang J-35 family, frequently compared with the F-35 because of its size and general configuration.
