US F-35 parts reach Hong Kong, Pentagon opens formal investigation

CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Washington. Some parts of the United States’ advanced F-35 fighter aircraft reached Hong Kong while being shipped from Australia to the US. The US Department of Defense and the F-35 Joint Program Office have launched an investigation into the matter. According to officials, the reason the consignment of parts was diverted towards Hong Kong is not yet clear.

According to reports, the parts were being sent from Australia to the US, where they were to be repaired or disposed of. Questions were raised after the consignment reached Hong Kong. The US F-35 Joint Program Office has said it is working with US officials and industry partners to recover the parts, investigate the incident and develop safeguards to prevent such a situation in the future. According to a Bloomberg report, the shipment included a cockpit canopy and a weapons bay door. However, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said that, according to his information, these were not sensitive equipment or sensitive parts. On the other hand, the incident has increased concerns among US officials over the international supply system and security of the F-35.

The US Congress has also begun inquiries into the matter. The concern is that Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and that the aircraft material that reached there could be used to obtain technical information. However, it is not yet clear whether Chinese officials gained access to these parts or whether any confidential technology information was obtained from them. The US and Australia are now investigating how the route of the consignment was changed, at what level the lapse occurred and how the parts can be recovered safely. Since companies and supply chains from several partner countries are involved in the F-35 programme, the incident also raises questions over the transport and monitoring system for military equipment.

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