《华尔街日报》21日称，F-35联合攻击战斗机是迄今为止美国最尖端、也是耗资最大的军事科研项目之一。美国防部门对该项目的投入高达3000亿美元。报道援引美国前情报官员的话称，入侵的黑客不仅盗取了该战斗机的大量设计资料和电路系统资料，还将被盗的数据作了加密处理，以至于调查人员一时都无法确认究竟丢失了多少数据。美官员认为，丢失的资料完全可使获取方能更有效地对付F-35战机。
报道称，五角大楼官员拒绝直接就此事表态。美国空军已对此展开调查。目前还不清楚入侵者的身份及入侵对项目造成的具体损失。但报道又模棱两可地写道，尽管从同类事件的调查看，入侵的源头有“很高的可能性”与来自中国的IP或互联网协议有关，“但不可否认，确认黑客的真实身份相当困难，因为高明的黑客很擅长在网络上伪装自己”。
报道称，幸运的是，美军事部门将一些至关重要的信息存储在独立的电脑硬盘中，这些资料未连接到互联网。因此，尽管黑客利用网络的安全漏洞截取了大量有关F-35战机的资料，但战机的飞行控制系统、传感系统等核心内容完好无损。报道还称，在战斗机数据被盗之前的几个月，美国国防部有关空军的航空交通控制系统也遭黑客入侵，所造成的损失令人堪忧。
澳媒认为中国希望利用计算机网络技能帮助弥补欠发达的军事能力。同时对于澳大利亚购买F35战斗机认为是不明智的，并批评说，陆克文政府应该更加有力地试图说服美国出售较昂贵的澳大利亚皇家空军的F - 22猛禽。 因为JSF的目的是以取代老旧的F - 111攻击机和F/A-18大的前线战斗机。
虽然澳大利亚可以预期在一定时间内以保持技术优势在其近邻东南亚地区，但随着中国获得500-600先进战斗轰炸机，在未来30年，中国预计将超过美国，成为东亚领先的空中力量。
附原文：
CHINESE computer spies are suspected of having cracked the Pentagon's $500 billion Joint Strike Fighter program, accessing top-secret files containing details of the aircraft's stealth design and electronics.
Details of the brazen break-in were reported yesterday in The Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing current and former US government officials.
The Royal Australian Air Force has placed a tentative order for 100 of the F-35 JSFs for about $16 billion, easily making it Australia's biggest defence purchase.
Last night, Defence confirmed it was aware of the report and was seeking more information. "Defence has seen the US reports and will discuss the issues raised with the JSF Program office in due course," it said in a written response to questions from The Australian.
A Canberra-based spokesman for the JSF's maker, Lockheed Martin, said a statement was expected today from head office in the US.
The JSF program is the US Defence Department's costliest, and according to the WSJ, the spies were able to siphon off "terabytes of data related to design and electronics systems", potentially making it easier to defend against the stealth-protected aircraft.
"Former US officials say the attacks appear to have originated in China. However, it can be extremely difficult to determine the true origin because it is easy to mask identities online," the WSJ said.
Unnamed US officials are quoted as saying cyber attacks on military projects appear to have escalated in the past six months.
According to the WSJ, a Pentagon report issued last month warned that the Chinese military had made "steady progress" in developing online-warfare techniques.
China hopes its computer skills can help it compensate
for an underdeveloped military, it said.
The F-35 JSF has proved a contentious buy, with critics saying the Rudd Government should have been more forceful in trying to pursuade the US to sell the RAAF the more expensive F-22 Raptor.
Unlike the JSF, the Raptor is operational but prohibited from export.
The JSF is intended to replace the ageing fleet of F-111 strike aircraft and the frontline F/A-18 jet fighters.
While Australia can expect to retain a technology edge over its immediate neighbours in Southeast Asia, China will acquire 500-600 advanced fighter bombers over the next 30 years and is expected to surpass the US as the leading air power in East Asia.
