Chinese authorities refuse to return to Australia parts of F-35 stealth fighter jet that arrived in Hong Kong

Chinese authorities still refuse to return to Australia a shipment of F-35 stealth fighter jet components, including a cockpit canopy and a munitions bay door, which left Australia in May en route to the United States and arrived for an unknown reason in Hong Kong.

According to the reports, the shipment left Australia in May and was supposed to reach the United States for repairs on the components, but during the journey was diverted to Hong Kong. Among the components found in the shipment were the cockpit canopy and munitions bay door of an Australian F-35A fighter, external components of the aircraft that use materials related to its stealth capability.

Examination of the components themselves could, according to the report, allow Chinese engineers to study the materials, the structure of the layers and how they function against electromagnetic radiation. However, China did not receive an F-35 aircraft or even the radar, mission computers, electronic warfare systems or software of the aircraft.

Australian and American officials emphasized that the components are not usable and the risk of significant exposure of critical technologies is considered low. The U.S. Defense Department and officials in the F-35 program are involved in investigating the incident, and at the same time efforts are being made to return the components.

According to the report, there is still no official answer to the question whether this is an unusual logistical error, a shipping company failure or intentional interference by Chinese intelligence or another spy agency.