US secret technology in China’s hands? Missed email blamed for sensitive F-35 jet parts reaching Hong Kong

In September 2026, news broke that China may have gained access to sensitive components of the highly classified F-35 jets that were on their way from Australia to the United States for repairs. At the time, the one question being raised repeatedly was, 'How could Beijing have gotten its hands on the technology used in the highly classified aircraft?' Now, reports suggest that a missed email may be to blame for sensitive US weapons technology falling into the hands of a US adversary.

What happened?

Sensitive components from the F-35 fighter jet were unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong this summer while being shipped from Australia to the United States for repairs, according to reports. This raised concerns in Washington that China could gain access to technology used in the highly classified aircraft.

The shipment was reportedly being moved by an intermediary working for F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin when it was rerouted while crossing the Pacific, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Pentagon also confirmed that some F-35 components went missing. The parts eventually turned up in Hong Kong.

Also read | China may have gained access to US's classified F-35 jets; parts meant for repairs diverted to Hong Kong, sparking Pentagon inquiry

Missed email leads to monumental secret technology compromise

As per a Bloomberg report, an employee of United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) allegedly missed an email warning not to route the shipment containing an F-35 cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door coated in radar-absorbing material through Hong Kong.

Citing people in the know, the publication reported that the email from freight forwarder firm DSV A/S, working on behalf of Lockheed Martin, had alerted that the classified technology must not transit through certain countries to comply with the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Notably, ITAR rules are meant, in part, to keep sensitive technology from being compromised.

However, the shipment with warplane parts which was meant to travel to San Francisco via US defence partners South Korea and Taiwan was delayed in Australia. This led to the shipment being mistakenly rerouted through Hong Kong to speed up the delivery.

According to the report, the email may have been sent through a different IT system than the one used by the UPS agent.

Why does the missing shipment matter?

One of the missing components was an F-35 canopy. This part of the aircraft is more than just a protective cover for the cockpit. It incorporates stealth technology designed to reduce the aircraft's radar signature. An adversary with access to an actual canopy could study its materials and construction and potentially use that information to improve or verify intelligence already obtained through espionage.

Also read | US says Turkey still barred from F-35 program until it gives up Russian S-400 system: Report

According to J.J. Gertler, a former House Armed Services Committee staff member and military aviation analyst at the Congressional Research Service, China had long sought information on the F-35. “It’s no secret that China has been aggressively trying to get F-35 data through electronic espionage, among other means,” Gertler said previously.

He added that possessing an actual component could give Chinese intelligence “even more to go on” and help verify or refine information obtained through other means.

Diana Maurer, who oversees F-35 support reviews at the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, said that the missing shipment was a "big deal" and that the Chinese must have gotten "busy trying to reverse engineer it and figure out how to counter it with their own technical capabilities".