Australia Confirms F-35 Components Bound for US Ended Up in Hong Kong

Australia confirmed Tuesday that F-35 fighter jet components being shipped to the U.S. for repairs were mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said Tuesday that Canberra was working with U.S. authorities and Lockheed Martin as the incident is investigated.

“We’ve been made aware of this, and we’re obviously working with the United States and Lockheed in terms of how we can assist in this investigation,” Marles told reporters in Adelaide.

Shipment Rerouted in Transit

The components were being transported from Australia to the U.S. this summer when the shipment was rerouted during transit, according to a Politico report citing three people familiar with the matter.

An intermediary was moving the parts on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The reason for the diversion, and how the shipment reached Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, remained unclear.

The Pentagon confirmed that some components had been affected.

Its F-35 Joint Program Office was “aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components,” a Department of Defense spokesperson told CNN.

U.S. authorities and industry partners are working to recover the components and examine the failure in the shipping process.

“We are actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident, and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence,” the spokesperson said.

Australia Says Parts Were Not Sensitive

Marles said his understanding was that the shipment did not contain sensitive components.

Australia is reviewing its role in the incident while maintaining that responsibility for the wider logistics system rests primarily with Lockheed and U.S. authorities.

“We are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end, but the point I would make here is that we are confident about the way in which we’ve engaged with the program,” Marles said.

He added that the matter ultimately involved the U.S. and Lockheed, the F-35 prime contractor that manages the program’s global supply chain.

Congressional Scrutiny

The diversion has also prompted briefings for congressional staff serving on key U.S. national security committees, according to Politico.

State Department and Pentagon officials briefed congressional staff in June, with further sessions expected as the investigation continues.

Lockheed declined to discuss individual shipment details on security grounds. The company said it follows requirements set by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency.

The Hong Kong government declined to comment, while the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong referred questions to the State Department.

Australia’s Role in F-35 Program

Australia is one of eight countries identified by Lockheed as participating in F-35 programs, alongside the U.S., U.K., Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway.

Australia received its first F-35 in 2014. Its Air Force reached full operational capability with the aircraft in 2025.

The shipment incident comes as China expands its aerial military capabilities, including work on stealth aircraft and anti-stealth air defenses, according to a June U.S. Air Force report.