F-35s are used in bombardment campaigns across Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen that have killed tens of thousands of civilians, including children, sheltering in schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. This supply traces back to Brisbane. We should oppose the weapons flow enabling documented war crimes.
The official ticketing for the airshow currently shows adult general admission at $55 Friday, $65 Saturday and $55 Sunday, with a three-day adult pass at $120. Can you imagine 250,000 people packed in cheek by jowl to see the F-35s with one solo Irishman as a vigil against the war machine.
The following have become uncontested facts:
Ferra Engineering, based in Tingalpa, states that it supplies more than 100 parts for the F-35 program and specifically identifies F-35 Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) weapons adapters among its products.
Investigative reporting has identified Australian-made F-35 components being shipped to Israel, including shipments whose stated final destination was Nevatim Air Base, home to Israel’s F-35 squadrons.
A detailed investigation of the Australian F-35 supply chain reports that Ferra‘s AME weapons adapters are exported from Tingalpa into the US supply chain and ultimately supplied to Israel.
The Israeli Air Force has acknowledged operational use of F-35 aircraft, while their use in Gaza has been the subject of investigative reporting and legal proceedings. The Netherlands have refused to supply weapons parts to the Israeli F-35 program.
These are the sponsors of the Gold Coast airshow being held this weekend 14,15, 16 August 2026:
Webjet — official partner providing marketing support and promotional flight discounts.
Southern Cross University — sponsor of the NXTGN STEM Lab.
Queensland Government — major event supporter and tourism backer.
Importantly, the organisers explicitly say the event is supported by Experience Gold Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland, while the Queensland Government’s own announcement says the Gold Coast City council has worked with the organisers and that the event is supported through the Tourism and Events Queensland Major Events Program.
The question for the thousands attending the Gold Coast air show is simple: should an aircraft whose components are being manufactured and supplied from Queensland, and whose operational use has been the subject of serious international scrutiny, be celebrated at a major publicly supported event by the Queensland government without consequences?
Bear in mind it is only a 50 cent train fare from Brisbane to Helensvale and then tram to Surfers Paradise …
Ian Curr,
11 August 2026
New shipping records leaked to Declassified Australia show the secret cargo of Australian parts for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets has been diverted onto passenger planes of US airline, United Airlines.
After two years being flown on Thai Airways planes, the records indicate the sensitive shipments leaving Sydney are no longer regularly flying through Bangkok but are now taking a longer pathway through the United States.
This logistical pivot seems to have come after exclusive reporting last year by Declassified Australia in October that has shown multiple exports of F-35 fighter jet parts from Sydney to Israel via Bangkok.
For months senior ministers had been claiming firstly that Australia exports no weapons (sic) at all to Israel, then conceding that exports may be going to a US global hub, and then claiming that only non-lethal weapons (sic) parts were exported to Israel.
When challenged about the F-35 parts supply route through Bangkok to Israel as reported by Declassified Australia, the government doubled down. Greens Senator David Shoebridge raised questions in the Senate, with the Foreign Minister Penny Wong responding:
“The F-35 as part of the global F35 supply chain, we contribute components and parts that are non-lethal in nature.”
Further leaks to Declassified Australia revealed that by November last year the total of known exports of F-35 fighter jet parts since October 2023 had reached at least 71 shipments.
Of particular relevance to the Foreign Minister’s claim, these shipments included a gasket for the F-35’s four-barrel 25mm GAU-22/A cannon that fires 3,300 rounds per minute to devastating effect in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran – certainly a very lethal weapon. See https://declassifiedaus.org/2026/08/13/shadow-flights-leaks-reveal-us-route-of-f35-parts/