China scored a massive coup by scooping up advanced stealth technology material used on the American F-35 fighters after its officials came in possession of some key parts of the combat jet. Involved in a race to develop and deploy the most advanced weapons platforms with the United States, Chinese officials were handed a gift when key parts of the F-35 stealth fighter were unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong while en route to the United States from Australia, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).
The report claims that Chinese authorities are now in possession of a cockpit canopy and a weapons-bay door of America’s most advanced fighter jet. The parts in Chinese hands use radar absorbing material, a highly secretive US technology which gives the F-35 its most potent capability and keeps it invisible to the enemy defense systems.
These fresh claims surfaced months after a May 2026 shipment, sent for either repair or disposal, mysteriously vanished along its route. There was, however, no clarity on how the shipment was diverted and ended up in Chinese hands. China has been accused of trying to secure US stealth technology and US prosecutors in 2014 had indicted Su Bin, a Chinese national aka “Stephen Su,” “Stephen Subin” and “Steven Subin” on charges of stealing from American defense contractors.
Su Bin and two others based in China had allegedly tried to hack into computer systems storing data related to the F-22, AND The F-35. There have been allegations that the Chinese J-35 stealth fight uses technology stolen from the American stealth fighters. Now, the blunder by Australia and UPS, an American package delivery giant, has given a windfall to the Chinese defense industry.
Following Bloomberg’s report, the Pentagon launched an investigation into the claims. In a statement, the F-35 Joint Program Office said that it and the Defense Department are aware of “a shipment issue" with F-35 components. “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 office said, as quoted by AP.
Australian Defense Minister acknowledges incident
While speaking to reporters on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that the jet components ended up in Hong Kong. However, he denied that the missing parts were “sensitive equipment.” Notably, Australia is among several nations whose militaries operate the stealth fighter jet.
“Yeah, so we are obviously working with the United States and obviously with its prime contractor Lockheed Martin, in respect of this,” Marles said, as quoted by AP. “My understanding is that there is a sense of comfort, and we're not talking about sensitive equipment here or sensitive parts. Ultimately, though, this is an issue which is going to be managed by the United States and by Lockheed in terms of what has occurred,” he further stated. China's Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the incident, and the Hong Kong government said it would not comment on specific cases.
