EXCLUSIVE: Pete Hegseth Given Strict Deadline to Explain How F-35 Parts Ended Up in China — as Congressman Raises Possibility of 'Intentional Act'
Pete Hegseth is being pressed for answers over F-35 parts reportedly diverted to China.
Sept. 30 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been slapped with a strict deadline to explain how components from America's highly advanced F-35 fighter jet reportedly wound up in Chinese hands, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to a letter obtained by Radar, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is demanding answers from Hegseth after F-35 components that were shipped from Australia to the United States were diverted to Hong Kong — and reportedly taken into the possession of the Chinese government.
'Intentional Act' Question Raised
Hegseth has until October 12 to answer questions about the F-35 components.
Hegseth has until October 12 to provide answers to a sweeping list of questions about the alarming incident, including whether the diversion may have been deliberate.
Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, demanded the Pentagon assess whether the diversion resulted from an "intentional act, negligence, inadequate safeguards, or subversion."
He also wants the 46-year-old to reveal whether the Department of Defense has identified any individuals or entities responsible.
F-35 Parts Diverted to Hong Kong
The Pentagon is investigating how the F-35 shipment was diverted.
The shipment reportedly included a weapons-bay door and cockpit canopy from an F-35, the sophisticated stealth fighter used by the U.S. and allied militaries.
The components were being transported from Australia to the United States when the shipment stopped in South Korea before ultimately being diverted to Hong Kong, according to Krishnamoorthi's office.
The Pentagon has acknowledged a "shipment issue" involving F-35 components and said officials are working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve the equipment, investigate what happened, and put safeguards in place to prevent another occurrence.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles has said the components were not considered sensitive equipment.
National Security Questions Mount
Hegseth is being pressed on the potential security implications of the diverted components.
But Krishnamoorthi is demanding the Pentagon explain what national security implications could arise from China's reported possession of the components and whether examining or reverse-engineering them could provide Beijing with information about F-35 capabilities, materials or other sensitive technologies.
The congressman is also seeking the shipment's complete chain of custody, an explanation for why it stopped in South Korea and details about who authorized the stop.
He further wants to know why the military hardware was transported through a commercial shipping network instead of military transportation. The controversy comes amid broader questions about accountability within the massive F-35 supply chain.
More Than 1 Million Parts Lost
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Lawmakers are also scrutinizing the Pentagon's broader handling of F-35 spare parts.
Krishnamoorthi cited a 2023 Government Accountability Office report that found more than one million F-35 spare parts worth at least $85million had been reported lost over a five-year period, while the Defense Department investigated only about two percent of those losses.
The lawmaker is now demanding Hegseth explain why the Pentagon has not fully implemented four recommendations issued by the government watchdog to improve accountability for the F-35 global spare-parts pool.
Krishnamoorthi also wants to know whether the Pentagon has identified any other cases in which F-35 parts or other sensitive military components were lost, diverted, or routed through China, Hong Kong, or territories controlled by U.S. adversaries. The Pentagon's investigation into the latest incident remains ongoing.
