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Australia Joins U.S. Probe Into Diverted F-35 Parts

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 6:39 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia is helping United States investigate F-35 components diverted to Hong Kong.
The F-35 parts bound for the United States were rerouted to Hong Kong earlier this year.
The Pentagon’s F-35 Program Office acknowledged issue and is working with authorities and partners to recover parts.
A May 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said 1 million parts $85 million were lost since May 2018, with fewer than 2% reviewed.

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Story summary

Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia is helping United States investigate F-35 components diverted to Hong Kong.
The F-35 parts bound for the United States were rerouted to Hong Kong earlier this year.
The Pentagon’s F-35 Program Office acknowledged issue and is working with authorities and partners to recover parts.
A May 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said 1 million parts $85 million were lost since May 2018, with fewer than 2% reviewed.