Let me tell you how this likely happened
America’s defense corporations are hopelessly exposed to the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) in a multitude of ways.
It’s hard to imagine that the same companies that build fighter jets, missiles, and radar for the US and its allies, also depend on official business inside China.
Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35, has registered entities in the PRC. An “entity” is a legal company such as a subsidiary, a factory, a sales office, or a joint venture. It has a Chinese business license, a Chinese bank account, and has to follow Chinese laws.
The company also employs personnel who are listed on the Chinese state insurance roll. China requires every formal employer to register workers in the national social insurance system so we can see how many personnel inside China they officially employ.
In other words, the Chinese government has a roster of every employee at Lockheed and through the National Security and Data Law, has legal power over the parent company that they work for.
Their physical presence in China creates several types of risks:
> Information risk
People and computers inside China can see designs, shipping schedules, supplier lists, or test data. Chinese law can compel them to share it.
> Leverage risk
Beijing can threaten the local company or its employees (“pay a fine, lose your license, or help us”) to get what it wants from the parent company in the US
> Supply chain risk
Buying metals and parts that China manufactures presents huge vulnerabilities. Combined with local entities and staff, it becomes easier for China to see and squeeze the system
This stolen F-35 cockpit canopy came from Australia, which like Canada, is highly compromised and penetrated.
From South Korea it was diverted to Hong Kong, which sadly is no longer secure as a hub. Commercial tracking data, freight-forwarder systems, and the presence of PRC-linked logistics partners make high-value military shipments visible. Given Lockheed’s legal entities and employees inside the PRC, the intelligence picture gets even clearer.
This is how “they” knew the schedule.
It’s long past due to gut the foothold our defense companies have inside the adversary’s system.
Btw Lockheed Martin, according to our data, is actually a lot less exposed to the PRC than Boeing, RTX (Raytheon) and Honeywell is.
How did they know the schedule for the shipment from Australia? What a coup for the PRC