UPS Employee's Unread Email Sent Sensitive F-35 Parts to China via Hong Kong

A UPS employee failed to read an email with ITAR export instructions, routing a shipment of sensitive F-35 parts from Australia through Hong Kong instead of the approved path. Chinese authorities seized the cargo, which included a weapons-bay door and a cockpit canopy, and have not returned it. The parts were headed to the US for repair or disposal.

• F-35 parts traveled from Australia to the US via South Korea and Taiwan
• A UPS worker missed the ITAR email and rerouted the cargo to Hong Kong
• China seized a weapons-bay door and a cockpit canopy
• Main concern is reverse-engineering of F-35 stealth coating