The Pentagon is investigating how parts of the nation’s most advanced fighter jet ended up in Hong Kong, with a news outlet reporting on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) that China has obtained the F-35 equipment.
The F-35 Joint Program Office said in a statement 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.
The first F-35 Lightning strike fighter rolled off an assembly line in Texas about 20 years ago and was hailed as a technological leap. Since then, more than 1,200 of the stealth jets have been made and 19 countries have placed orders for the planes, according to the Congressional Research Service. Described as a fifth-generation fighter, the F-35’s technologies include stealth coatings as well as advanced radar and sensors, according to the Congressional Research Service.
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. The F-35 is “widely recognised as America’s best and most advanced fighter jet,” according to Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington-based think tank. Lockheed did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday, when Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a state visit with President Donald Trump.
But he denied that the missing parts were “sensitive equipment.
“Yeah, so we are obviously working with the United States and obviously with its prime contractor Lockheed Martin, in respect of this,” Mr. Marles said. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that the jet components ended up in Hong Kong when responding to questions from reporters on Tuesday.
