A shipment of F-35 fighter jet components sent from Australia to the United States for repairs was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong, triggering a US investigation and concerns about possible access to technology used in one of the world's most advanced combat aircraft.
The incident has attracted scrutiny because the F-35 programme involves tightly controlled technology. Defence Minister Richard Marles said his understanding was that the missing components were not sensitive, while the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office is working with US authorities and industry partners to retrieve the parts, investigate the incident and introduce safeguards against a recurrence.
