Tue Jun 24 08:50:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Ex-B-2 Stealth Bomber Engineer Jailed for Espionage, China’s Stealth Capabilities Bolstered by Leak**
**[City, State] – [Date]** – Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia, an India-born engineer who played a pivotal role in the development of the B-2 Spirit bomber’s stealth propulsion system, is serving a 32-year prison sentence for selling classified military secrets to China and other foreign entities. The leaked information is believed to have significantly advanced China’s stealth technology, specifically its cruise missile exhaust system, and potentially contributed to the development of its H-20 long-range stealth bomber.
Gowadia, born in Mumbai in 1944 and a US citizen since 1969, worked for Northrop Grumman for nearly two decades, from 1968 to 1986, during which he was instrumental in minimizing the B-2 bomber’s radar, infrared, and visual signatures. His work made the B-2 remarkably difficult to detect.
Following the revocation of his security clearance in 1997, Gowadia reportedly engaged in espionage activities between 2003 and 2005. Prosecutors successfully argued that he traveled to China, providing classified design information related to stealth technology in exchange for $110,000, which was used to pay off a mortgage on his property in Maui.
The U.S. Air Force website highlights that Gowadia’s visits to China included assessments of an aeronautical testing facility to identify design flaws and technical deficiencies in missile exhaust systems. The leaked details included heat signatures, which are vital to evade missile detection systems.
Beyond China, evidence revealed that Gowadia also shared top-secret information regarding the TH-98 Eurocopter to a Swiss official and provided classified data to businesses in Germany and Israel.
The prosecution asserted that Gowadia’s actions undermined U.S. national security by providing China with stealth technology that could potentially challenge American military dominance. The defense countered, claiming Gowadia only shared publicly available data and that the government overclassified the information. They painted him as an engineer seeking to advance aerospace technology, not harm U.S. interests.
Gowadia’s arrest in 2005 marked the beginning of a lengthy legal battle. In 2010, he was convicted on 14 of 17 federal charges, including espionage and violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding classified information and the potential consequences of espionage for national security. It also underscores the ongoing competition between the U.S. and China in the development of advanced military technologies.
First Piper 