GoKawiil
Tech News
An Australian F-35 cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door being shipped to Lockheed Martin in the U.S. for inspection went missing after a stop in South Korea, then were rerouted through Hong Kong, according to Bloomberg. Chinese authorities took possession of the parts there and have not returned them, while Beijing's foreign ministry says it has no knowledge of the incident.
A UPS shipment carrying an F-35 cockpit canopy and weapons bay door, both coated in radar-absorbing material, was rerouted from Australia to Hong Kong in late May instead of reaching the U.S., Bloomberg reported citing sources. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed Canberra is aware of the incident and is working with the U.S. and Lockheed Martin to investigate, though he said no sensitive parts were believed to be in the shipment. Lockheed Martin, UPS and the Pentagon have not commented.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works unveiled a full-scale model of Vectis, its uncrewed combat aircraft meant to fly alongside the F-35, at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference. The company is growing the program from one to five prototype vehicles and aims to fly the first one by the end of 2027.
The U.S. Navy tested a wind-powered Saildrone Surveyor SD-3001 unmanned surface vessel armed with Lockheed Martin's JAGM missiles during RIMPAC 2026 exercises. Controlled via the Navy's ARES system, the drone fired two JAGMs while operating alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, and also demonstrated electronic warfare capabilities by working with an MH-60S helicopter to identify a mock threat.