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House Armed Services Opens Investigation Into Diverted F-35 Parts

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:40 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

House Committee Probes F-35

The U.S. House Armed Services Committee opened an investigation into diverted F-35 components from Australia to Hong Kong.
Committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan said staff received multiple briefings while the panel continues oversight.
The Pentagon’s F-35 program office confirmed an unserviceable component shipment and is working to retrieve it.
Lockheed Martin used a commercial intermediary to move the parts, including a stealth canopy.

Summary

GAO Flags Missing Parts

GAO report found more than 1 million F-35 spare parts missing, costing tens of millions.
Pentagon projects almost $2 trillion total spending for the F-35 program over its lifetime.
DoD retains ownership of parts until installation while Lockheed Martin keeps inventory records.
The United States, U.K., Australia, Denmark, Norway, and Poland share a spare-parts pool managed by commercial carriers.
Australia cannot repair F-35 canopies, so they ship them to the United States.

Summary

Pentagon Briefs Congress

Hong Kong officials refused comment on diverted F-35 parts, citing a policy against addressing individual cases.
Former House Armed Services staffer J.J. Gertler warned the parts could let China verify and refine espionage data.
State Department and Pentagon officials briefed congressional staff on the shipment issue from June through September.
Analysts said Chinese technicians could reverse-engineer the canopy’s unique stealth coating if examined.

History

Historical Context

2000 DOJ charges against Lockheed Martin engineer Michael J. McGowan for sending twelve classified F-22 parts worth $3 million to Hong Kong violated the 1998 export ban on the stealth jet. The case foreshadows the 2024 House Armed Services Committee probe of diverted F-35 canopies from Australia, underscoring ongoing leakage worries after the F-22 program was trimmed to 195 aircraft by 2012 in favor of the export-friendly F-35.

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House Committee Probes F-35

The U.S. House Armed Services Committee opened an investigation into diverted F-35 components from Australia to Hong Kong.
Committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan said staff received multiple briefings while the panel continues oversight.
The Pentagon’s F-35 program office confirmed an unserviceable component shipment and is working to retrieve it.
Lockheed Martin used a commercial intermediary to move the parts, including a stealth canopy.

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