A United Parcel Service (UPS) employee missed an email warning against routing a shipment of F-35 stealth fighter components through Hong Kong, allowing China to obtain the parts, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
– Citing a person briefed on the incident, the report said the email came from freight forwarder DSV, which was working for F-35 developer Lockheed Martin.
– It said the cargo — a cockpit canopy and a weapons-bay door coated with radar-absorbing material — was subject to US arms export rules and could not pass through certain countries, according to the outlet.
– The shipment was meant to reach San Francisco via South Korea and Taiwan, but it left Australia late and was rerouted through Hong Kong to save time, the source told Bloomberg. The DSV message may have gone through a different IT system than the one UPS’s agent used, the person added.
– While the source spoke anonymously, as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, the report further noted that the parts were being returned to the US for possible repair or disposal in late May.
– According to Bloomberg, Pentagon officials gave the details during an hour-long Sept. 29 briefing for staff of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Erica Plath, deputy assistant secretary of defense for logistics, told attendees her team was working on safeguards, while a State Department export control official said the department is investigating.
– Lawmakers have demanded answers. Sen. Mark Warner requested the briefing, Sen. Tom Cotton called for a supply chain review, and Sen. Kevin Cramer asked whether China had planned to intercept the shipment, Bloomberg reported.
– UPS shares dipped less than 1% after the report.