How Indian-American engineer sold B-2 Spirit bomber secrets to China
What's the story
In a demonstration of unrivaled air power, the United States recently deployed its stealth B-2 Spirit bombers to hit Iran's nuclear facilities. The stealth bombers unleashed 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, 30,000-pound bunker-busters, on three of Iran's major nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strike took 25 minutes. Noshir Gowadia, who worked at Northrop (now Northrop Grumman) as a propulsion and low-observable technology expert, was instrumental in the building of the bombers.
Engineer
He joined Northrop in the 1960s
Originally from Mumbai, Gowadia was instrumental in designing the B-2's secret exhaust system, which helps it evade radar and infrared detection. He joined Northrop in the 1960s and left the corporation in 1986 to start his own consulting firm. He later illicitly sold the secrets to China, which is now believed to be quietly working on a similar aircraft.
Legal repercussions
How the FBI connected the dots
In 2005, the FBI discovered hundreds of classified documents in a shipment sent to Gowadia. The documents included detailed schematics of stealth nozzles and emails linking him to Chinese operatives. An investigation revealed that he had traveled to Chengdu and Shenzhen between 2003-2004, where he shared technology on infrared-suppression and low-visibility propulsion systems, receiving over $110,000 over three years via offshore accounts.
Espionage details
Gowadia arrested, charged under Espionage Act
Gowadia was arrested in Hawaii and charged under the Arms Export Control Act and Espionage Act. He initially denied selling plans to China but later admitted, "On reflection, what I did was wrong to help the PRC make a cruise missile. What I did was espionage and treason." Currently, he is serving a 32-year sentence at the Florence ADX supermax facility in Colorado.
Aviation advancement
China developing its own stealth bombers
In May 2024, The War Zone published satellite images of a B-2-like drone in China, indicating its own stealth aviation program. The aircraft was spotted at a classified test facility near Malan, Xinjiang. Experts believe the drone could be a precursor to China's H-20 stealth bomber or J-36 fighter. The sighting suggests that Beijing is moving closer to developing its own bombers with technology possibly acquired from Gowadia's espionage activities.