UPS Oversight Allows F-35 Parts to Reach Chinese Hands

A United Parcel Service employee's failure to heed an email warning resulted in sensitive parts from a US stealth fighter jet being diverted through Hong Kong and delivered to China. The shipment, containing an cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door coated with radar-absorbing material intended for the Pentagon, was originally routed via South Korea and Taiwan before being rerouted as a supposed shortcut. Freight forwarder DSV A/S had alerted handlers that US International Traffic in Arms Regulations prohibited transit through certain nations to prevent sensitive technology from reaching adversaries. Despite these warnings, China obtained access to components managed by Lockheed Martin Corp., raising concerns about the security of classified military systems and potentially exposing radar-absorbing coatings for study.