# Australia Addresses Missing F-35 Parts

Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that missing F-35 parts reportedly diverted to Hong Kong are not classified as sensitive. The Australian Government is actively cooperating with the U.S. Government and Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the F-35 program, to investigate and resolve the issue. This situation underscores ongoing challenges in securing the global F-35 supply chain, which involves multiple international partners and impacts aircraft readiness rates.

- Procurement professionals should note the heightened scrutiny on supply chain security and accountability within multinational defense programs like the F-35.
- Lockheed Martin's role as prime contractor highlights the importance of contractor collaboration in addressing supply chain discrepancies.
- Agencies involved in F-35 acquisitions may need to review inventory controls and logistics oversight to mitigate risks of unaccounted parts.
- This incident may influence future contract requirements emphasizing traceability and security measures for critical defense components.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 22, 2026

### Government Entities
- Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
- Pentagon F-35 Joint Program Office
- U.S. Government

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin (prime contractor)

### Key Quotes
> We are examining very much everything that has occurred at the Australian end, but the point I would make here is that we are confident about the way in which we’ve engaged with the program, and through the US’s prime contractor, Lockheed
> — Richard Marles, Defense Minister

### Sources
- [Aussie defense chief confirms missing F-35 parts, says none are ‘sensitive’ - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/aussie-defense-chief-confirms-missing-f-35-parts-says-none-are-sensitive) - Breaking Defense