Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Washington Times
December 12, 2007
Pg. 6
Accused of selling weapons secrets to China
By Bill Gertz, Washington Times
A former U.S. defense contractor spent more than two years working with China's military to design and test a radar-evading component for a new Chinese cruise missile as part of an espionage conspiracy, according to a federal indictment.
The indictment of Noshir S. Gowadia, an Indian-born engineer, was submitted to U.S. District Court in Hawaii in October and states he worked closely with a Chinese government agent and missile technicians to illegally supply the stealth-missile technology during six visits to China between 2003 and 2005.
"The defense services performed were in the form of design, test support and test-data analysis of advanced propulsion system technologies and low observable technologies for the specific purpose of assisting the [People's Republic of China] in designing, testing and analyzing a low-observable exhaust nozzle, optimized for significant reduction in the infrared heat signature, for a PRC cruise missile," according to the indictment, which has not been disclosed before.
The new indictment added two additional counts to two earlier federal charge sheets in the case and states Mr. Gowadia conspired with Wong Tong-ming, an agent working for Beijing's Foreign Experts Bureau, and others to supply defense technology secrets for cash.
The men set up "covert e-mail addresses" that were used to send classified defense data as part of the cruise missile conspiracy, according to the indictment.
Mr. Gowadia worked at Northrop Grumman from 1968 to 1986 and participated in developing the still-secret propulsion system used on the B-2 stealth bomber. He later worked as a defense contractor.
The indictment provides the first details on how Mr. Gowadia purportedly helped build China's new land-attack cruise missile in exchange for $110,000.
China's stealth cruise missile is a new strategic weapon that is a key element of China's major military build-up.
"The new PLA land attack cruise missile ... has stealth shaping features similar to the late models of the U.S. Tomahawk land attack cruise missile," said Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
"Gowadia's expertise in infrared signature suppression would have helped the PLA to make this cruise missile even less detectable, especially by infrared sensors."
According to the indictment, Mr. Gowadia designed the new missile to be capable of evading U.S. air-to-air missiles. The indictment revealed that Mr. Gowadia's work on the exhaust nozzle between April 2004 and June 2004 used U.S. data to show the exact "lock on range" of the new Chinese missile from a pursuing U.S. air-to-air missile.
The new indictment includes 21 counts of conspiracy to commit espionage, violations of arms export control laws, unlawful retention and transmission of defense information, money laundering and tax evasion.
Mr. Gowadia pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is set for Oct. 7.
December 12, 2007
Pg. 6
Accused of selling weapons secrets to China
By Bill Gertz, Washington Times
A former U.S. defense contractor spent more than two years working with China's military to design and test a radar-evading component for a new Chinese cruise missile as part of an espionage conspiracy, according to a federal indictment.
The indictment of Noshir S. Gowadia, an Indian-born engineer, was submitted to U.S. District Court in Hawaii in October and states he worked closely with a Chinese government agent and missile technicians to illegally supply the stealth-missile technology during six visits to China between 2003 and 2005.
"The defense services performed were in the form of design, test support and test-data analysis of advanced propulsion system technologies and low observable technologies for the specific purpose of assisting the [People's Republic of China] in designing, testing and analyzing a low-observable exhaust nozzle, optimized for significant reduction in the infrared heat signature, for a PRC cruise missile," according to the indictment, which has not been disclosed before.
The new indictment added two additional counts to two earlier federal charge sheets in the case and states Mr. Gowadia conspired with Wong Tong-ming, an agent working for Beijing's Foreign Experts Bureau, and others to supply defense technology secrets for cash.
The men set up "covert e-mail addresses" that were used to send classified defense data as part of the cruise missile conspiracy, according to the indictment.
Mr. Gowadia worked at Northrop Grumman from 1968 to 1986 and participated in developing the still-secret propulsion system used on the B-2 stealth bomber. He later worked as a defense contractor.
The indictment provides the first details on how Mr. Gowadia purportedly helped build China's new land-attack cruise missile in exchange for $110,000.
China's stealth cruise missile is a new strategic weapon that is a key element of China's major military build-up.
"The new PLA land attack cruise missile ... has stealth shaping features similar to the late models of the U.S. Tomahawk land attack cruise missile," said Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
"Gowadia's expertise in infrared signature suppression would have helped the PLA to make this cruise missile even less detectable, especially by infrared sensors."
According to the indictment, Mr. Gowadia designed the new missile to be capable of evading U.S. air-to-air missiles. The indictment revealed that Mr. Gowadia's work on the exhaust nozzle between April 2004 and June 2004 used U.S. data to show the exact "lock on range" of the new Chinese missile from a pursuing U.S. air-to-air missile.
The new indictment includes 21 counts of conspiracy to commit espionage, violations of arms export control laws, unlawful retention and transmission of defense information, money laundering and tax evasion.
Mr. Gowadia pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is set for Oct. 7.