Authored by Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times,
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked the Department of War on Sept. 29 to review security controls for U.S. military equipment and supplies transported through commercial and contractor-managed supply chains, citing reports that F-35 components bound for the United States from Australia were diverted to Hong Kong.
A U.S. Air Force F-35 takes flight in the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026. Courtesy of U.S. Air ForceIn a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Cotton cited the diversion of F-35 components being shipped from Australia and reports that the Chinese government had taken possession of the parts and had not returned them.
"We can't afford for U.S. military equipment to fall into the hands of a foreign adversary because of vulnerabilities in commercial transportation," Cotton wrote.
Cotton, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also said in a Sept. 29 post on X that secure supply chains are critical to ensuring weapons, technology, and supplies reach U.S. troops rather than adversaries.
"That's why I'm calling on [the Department of War] to conduct a review and take any necessary actions," he wrote.
5 Areas for ReviewCotton's request extends beyond the circumstances of the missing F-35 components.
He asked the Department of War to examine five areas: chain-of-custody requirements for military equipment and supplies moved by contractors and commercial carriers, the department's ability to track the location and routing of shipments, procedures for approving and reporting route changes, criteria for allowing shipments to pass through foreign jurisdictions, and safeguards against military materiel transiting through or being diverted to China and other adversary-controlled jurisdictions.
The department relies extensively on contractors and commercial carriers to move military equipment, replacement parts, and other supplies around the world, Cotton wrote.
He said those arrangements provide speed and ease of movement but should not come at the expense of the U.S. military advantage.
While classified and designated sensitive components should receive heightened protections, Cotton said all U.S. military materiel could give adversaries information about American weapons systems, logistics, and readiness, as well as access to U.S. troops.
Cotton said securing the supply chains was necessary both to ensure U.S. troops have access to advanced equipment and technology and to prevent adversaries from gaining access to U.S. technology.
F-35 Parts Diverted to Hong KongThe F-35 Joint Program Office confirmed to The Epoch Times on Sept. 18 that it and the Office of the Secretary of War were aware of a "shipment issue" involving unserviceable F-35 Lightning II components.
"We are actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve these components, investigate the incident, and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrence," the program office said.
The office did not identify the components, say where the shipment had been diverted, or explain how the diversion occurred.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sept. 22 his understanding was that the shipment did not involve sensitive equipment or sensitive parts. He said the matter ultimately would be managed by the United States and Lockheed Martin.
Earlier Problems Tracking F-35 PartsThe Government Accountability Office (GAO) has previously identified problems with the Pentagon's ability to account for parts in the F-35's global supply system.
A 2023 GAO audit found that one F-35 prime contractor had recorded more than 1 million spare parts worth over $85 million as lost since May 2018. The F-35 Joint Program Office reviewed the circumstances surrounding less than 2 percent of those losses.
The watchdog said the Pentagon lacked sufficient oversight of government-owned F-35 spare parts held outside prime-contractor facilities and recommended procedures for reporting losses and disposing of excess, obsolete, or unserviceable parts. The Defense Department concurred with all four recommendations at the time.
Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden Thu, 10/01/2026 - 17:00A mysterious breakup of a decades-old American spy satellite has sent debris hurtling through low-Earth orbit, with the U.S. Space Force now tracking the fragments for potential threats to other spacecraft, according to Space-Track.
The satellite, known as USA 32, came apart on September 13 at approximately 5:13 p.m. ET, according to U.S. Space Forces-Space. Officials have not publicly determined what caused the nearly 40-year-old spacecraft to suddenly fragment.
"All tracked debris are being incorporated into routine conjunction assessment screenings to support spaceflight safety," U.S. Space Forces-Space said in a notice. "No immediate threats have been identified; further analysis is ongoing."
USA 32 had been circling Earth since the final years of the Cold War.
The National Reconnaissance Office satellite blasted into space aboard a Titan II rocket on September 5, 1988. Public records identify the spacecraft as an electronic and signals intelligence satellite designed to collect information from orbit.
USA 32 has also been identified as FARRAH III, part of a secretive family of American intelligence satellites whose name was inspired by actress Farrah Fawcett.
The satellite was traveling in an orbit roughly 480 miles above Earth when it broke apart. Officials have yet to disclose how many fragments were produced.
That uncertainty matters because debris traveling at orbital speeds can pose a hazard to functioning satellites even when the individual pieces are relatively small. Space Force tracking systems routinely monitor objects around Earth and screen their trajectories for possible collisions.
Exactly what happened to USA 32 remains a mystery.
A collision with an untracked object is one possible explanation for an unexpected satellite breakup. Aging spacecraft can also fragment because of failures involving batteries, pressurized tanks or other components. There is currently no public evidence establishing any of those scenarios as the cause of USA 32's demise.
Tyler Durden Thu, 10/01/2026 - 16:55