UPS linked to missing F-35 parts in Hong Kong

Last week, Politico reported that sensitive F-35 fighter jet parts were unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong, where they have disappeared. It has since been reported that a UPS aircraft was carrying the components from Australia to the United States for maintenance.

F-35 components missing in Hong Kong

The incident came to light following an inquiry on Capitol Hill, and there are now concerns that China may have access to these components. Politico cited three unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has confirmed the disappearance of some F-35 components. There is an ongoing series of briefings for congressional staff on key national security committees. The first briefing in Washington took place in June.

The parts were being transported by an intermediary on behalf of the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin. However, it remains unclear how these parts wound up in Hong Kong and whether the fault lies with Australia, Lockheed, the intermediaries (now identified as UPS), or someone else.

The Joint Program Office has also stated it is “aware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components.” It added that it is working to retrieve the components, investigate the incident, and put safeguards in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

A Bloomberg report suggests that the cargo airline involved was UPS. Cargo and even passenger airlines can sometimes carry military components for contractors like Lockheed Martin.

The security risk of China possessing a canopy

J.J. Gertler, a former House Armed Services Committee staff member, said of the possibility of China having the canopy, “possessing a real one can give them even more to go on and can verify or refine whatever they already had learned.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles is quoted by CNN as saying that no sensitive parts were in the missing shipment.

The components reportedly include one of the F-35A’s canopies. If true, this could be a significant security issue, as it contains stealth technology, the Radar Absorbent Materials (RAM).

Should China possess the canopy, it could study it and potentially reverse engineer it. While it is possible China could use the technology to incorporate into its own aircraft, the bigger security fear may be learning how the RAM works and how best to detect it.

With over 1,340 F-35s delivered to US forces and allies around the world, tracking and safeguarding all the components constantly being ferried about is a mammoth task.

The Royal Australian Air Force has completed deliveries of all 72 F-35As it has ordered. Currently, it is the largest operator of the F-35 outside of the United States.