F-35 parts ended up in Hong Kong. Pentagon investigates

The People’s Republic of China may have come into possession of F-35 aircraft parts. An acrylic cockpit canopy and a weapons bay door, which were originally intended to be sent from Australia for servicing in the United States, ended up in the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for unknown reasons.

The transport error could be exceptionally costly. There are concerns that the loss of these parts will allow the Chinese side to acquire knowledge regarding stealth technology. “We are actively working with US authorities and industry partners to recover these parts, investigate this incident, and implement security measures that will prevent similar situations in the future,” the F-35 Joint Program Office stated.

However, it has not been confirmed that the parts have definitely been seized by the Chinese side. Interestingly, the matter has only come to light now, although the incident itself, according to the Bloomberg portal, reportedly took place at the end of May this year.