Who Is Noshir Gowadia? All About US B-2 Spirit Bomber Engineer Accused Of Selling Technology To China
Noshir Gowadia, 80, born in Mumbai, played a key role in designing the B-2 bomber’s propulsion system.
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the United States' B-2 bomber jets are making headlines for their shocking strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last week. At the same time, an Indian American former engineer, who was involved in the creation of these jets, is gaining fresh attention for his controversial connection to the project.
Noshir Gowadia, 80, born in Mumbai, played a key role in designing the B-2 bomber’s propulsion system. However, his story took a dark turn in 2011 when a court in Hawaii found him guilty of sharing classified United States military information with China that helped the communist country in developing a stealth cruise missile.
Gowadia was 66 at the time of his conviction as a spy. He received a 32-year prison sentence for his actions, of which he has now served nearly half.
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The BBC reported that between 2003 and 2005, Gowadia made several trips to China while working on the missile project. During this time, he received $110,000 from Chinese officials, which he used to pay off the mortgage on a luxury home in Maui.
His defence claimed that he shared only unclassified, publicly available information. Gowadia’s lawyers admitted he designed an "exhaust nozzle" for China but claimed it was "basic stuff". However, US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway argued that Gowadia "broke his oath of loyalty" to the US.
"He was found guilty of marketing valuable technology to foreign countries for personal gain," BBC cited her as saying in its 2011 report.
Gowadia moved to the US in the 1960s and gained citizenship about ten years later. He had been in custody for nearly four years before his sentencing. During the trial, he was acquitted on three counts.
On June 22, the US launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’ against three Iranian nuclear sites. Seven B-2 bombers flew for hours over the Atlantic, entered Iranian airspace and targeted nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. This marked the US's official entry into the existing tensions between Israel and Iran.
