Senator Tom Cotton Demands Pentagon Review After F-35 Parts Seized in China

Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, demanded that the Department of Defense review the security of its commercial transport network after sensitive F-35 stealth fighter components were diverted to Hong Kong and seized by Chinese authorities.

The components, which included a weapons-bay door and a cockpit canopy treated with radar-absorbing stealth coatings, were being transported from Australia to the United States for maintenance via a United Parcel Service Inc. flight. The diversion of these parts highlights vulnerabilities in the global supply chain managed by Lockheed Martin Corp., the prime contractor for the 1.7 trillion dollar F-35 program.

Cotton urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reassess structural safeguards and chain-of-custody requirements to prevent critical military technology from entering foreign jurisdictions. The request follows previous criticisms of Lockheed Martin regarding inventory tracking deficiencies.