Noshir Gowadia

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Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia is a former design engineer at Northrop Corporation. He was involved in the creation of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and has been accused of selling classified information about the B-2 Spirit to the government of the People's Republic of China, as well as sending classified information about the aircraft to individuals in Germany, Israel, and Switzerland.[1][2]

Gowadia was born in India, but emigrated to the United States and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. He joined Northrop in November 1968, and continued to work there until April 1986. As a design engineer, Gowadia was reportedly "one of the principal designers" of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, who "conceived and conceptually designed the B-2 Bomber's entire propulsion system" and billed himself as "the father of the technology that protects the B-2 stealth bomber from heat-seeking missiles."[3] In 1999, he founded N.S. Gowadia, Inc., his own consulting company.

In October 2005, he was interviewed twice by the authorities, and his home in Hawaii was searched. Later the same month, he was arrested, and charged with giving secret defence information to unauthorized parties. According to prosecutors, the information mostly related to the B-2 project, and at least eight foreign countries were shown documents relating to the B-2's stealth technology. In an affidavit, Gowadia admitted to transmitting classified information, and stated that he did so "to establish the technological credibility with the potential customers for future business".

Gowadia has been held without bail since his arrest. [1]

On October 26 he was charged with one count of "willfully communicating delivering or transmitting national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it, which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation" in the United States District Court in Maui, Hawaii. [4][5] November 2006, Gowadia was also charged with helping to design stealth technology for Chinese missiles, and with money laundering. His trial was scheduled for July 10, 2007[6] but has received a continuance until February 12 of 2008 because Gowadia's new counsel had to be investigated by the United States Department of Justice for a security background check to allow him to use classified information to be entered into evidence at trial. [2] [3]. It was later reported that the trial had been postponed until October.Warrick, Joby, and Carrie Johnson. "Chinese spy 'slept' in U.S. for 2 decades: Espionage network said to be growing." Washington Post 3 April 2008.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "NRI charged with selling US army secrets to China", The Times of India, November 24, 2006. 
  2. ^ "Former B-2 Bomber Engineer Accused of More Spying", ABC News, November 10, 2006. 
  3. ^ a b http://www.cicentre.com/Documents/DOC_Noshir_Gowadia_Case.htm CI Center page on Gowadia
  4. ^ http://starbulletin.com/2006/04/04/news/story12.html B-2 engineer awaits trial in secrets scandal Honolulu Star-Bulletin
  5. ^ http://honolulu.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/defensesecrets110906.htm - Text of FBI press release. November 9, 2006
  6. ^ http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061110/NEWS20/611100361/1170/NEWS Son says father eager for trial Honolulu Advertiser