Latest news with #NoshirGowadia
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Noshir Gowadia, the India-born B-2 bomber project engineer turned Chinese spy?
As the United States' B-2 stealth bombers gain limelight following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Indian-American Noshir S Gowadia's story from 2010 has also resurfaced. Noshir Gowadia had contributed to the development of the B-2 Spirit bomber's unique propulsion system and low observable capabilities.(X/@arctotherium42/Reuters) Gowadia, a former B-2 stealth bomber engineer, was found guilty of selling sensitive and classified defence information to China in 2010 by a US federal jury. Follow Iran Israel war live updates The former Northrop Grumman engineer, who helped design the B-2 stealth bomber, was also convicted of illegally communicating classified information three other times and unlawfully exporting technical information on those occasions, and filing false tax returns between 2001 and 2002. ALSO READ | What are B-2 Stealth Bombers and why US used it to target nuclear sites in Iran | Explained "Gowadia provided some of our country's most sensitive weapons-related designs to the Chinese government for money,' David Kris, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the time, had said. Gowadia, who was aged 66 in 2010, was sentenced to life imprisonment. "This prosecution should serve as a warning to others who would compromise our nation's military secrets for profit. I commend the many prosecutors, analysts, and agents --including those from the FBI and the Air Force -- who were responsible for this investigation and prosecution," Kris had said. How did Noshir Gowadia sell intel to China? Noshir Gowadia was first arrested in October 2005 for allegedly willfully communicating national defence information to a person not entitled to receive it. Additional charges were added to his name in 2005, 2006, and again in 2007. Gowadia worked for the Northrop Grumman Corporation from 1968 to 1986, contributing to the development of the B-2 Spirit bomber's unique propulsion system and low observable capabilities. ALSO READ | US B-2 bombers flew 37 hours non-stop, refueling mid-air to hit Iran nuclear sites Northrop Grumman produces the B-2 stealth bomber, which can only be flown by the US Air Force. Until 1997, the Indian-American engineer continued working on classified matters as a contractor with the US government. After that year, Gowadia's security clearance was terminated, HT had reported. However, Norish Gowadia went the other way when he took six trips to China from July 2003 to June 2005. During these visits, the engineer provided defence service-related information to China in the form of designs, test support and test data analysis of technologies. The US defence information was meant to help China with its cruise missile system by developing a stealth exhaust nozzle. Beijing paid Norish Gowadia at least US$110,000. ALSO READ | B-2 stealth bomber: How many bunker busters can it carry? Can it be detected? All FAQs answered A PowerPoint presentation on the exhaust nozzle of a Chinese cruise missile project, evaluation of a redesigned nozzle, and prediction of Gowadia's modified exhaust nozzle helped the jury convict him. Documents produced against the former engineer also included Gowadia's use of three foreign entities to mask the income he received from foreign countries. Additionally, Gowadia was also convicted of underreporting his income and falsely denying the use of foreign bank accounts for the 2001-2002 tax convictions.
Mint
an hour ago
- Business
- Mint
Who is Noshir Gowadia? Mumbai-born engineer built B-2 stealth bombers, later jailed for leaking information to China
As Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire deal, albeit volatile, the role of the United States' B-2 stealth bomber jets that reportedly wreaked havoc on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites cannot be denied. As the world looks at the power of the fighter jets that are capable of dropping 30,000-pound bombs, here is the Indian connection B-2 stealth bomber planes. Born in 1944 in Bombay, Noshir Gowadia was often remembered as a soft-spoken engineer. Raised in a Parsi family, he was reported to be brilliant from a young age and said to have earned a PhD by the age of 15. Godiwala moved to the United States of America when he was just 19 to study aeronautical engineering and was naturalised as an American in 1969. Into a year after becoming an American citizen, he joined Northrop Corporation, now known as Northrop Grumman. Noshir Gowadia joined Northrop at a time when the US was trying to make amends to the vulnerabilities that had been exposed during its prolonged war with Vietnam and Yom Kippur. His skills came in useful as the US had lost thousands of aircraft and was in need of making a plane that could not be seen – and Gowadia delivered. He designed the B-2 stealth bombers, spending two decades to build the planes propulsion system so that its exhaust was invisibe to heat sensors and radars. The B-2 stealth bomber was capable of evading detection, dropping 40,000 pounds of explosives, and flying 10,000 nautical miles with single refuelling. While his work was celebrated, fame grew on Gowadia and he became disillusioned. However, he was let go by Northrop in 1986 due to a rare blood disorder, around which time he brought a villa in Maui, Hawaii, with a hefty mortgage. With his instalments looming around the corner, Gowadia was in need of cash soon. In 2003, he began a secret partnership with Chinese officials and travelled to the country six times using various aliases. His job was to help China build a stealth cruise missile by designing an exhaust nozzle that reduced infrared and radar signatures similar to the B-2s. According to reports, Gowadia received $110,000 for his support, which he used to pay off his loan. However, the large sum of money was flagged by revenue officials and the FBI began an investigation when shipping documents related to him raised suspicions. In October 2005, the FBI arrested Gowadia after they found 500 pounds of evidence in his Hawaii home, including computers, blueprints, emails, and thumb drives filled with sensitive data. After his near-four-month-long trial in 2010, Noshir Gowadia was sentenced to 32 years in prison. While he remains in jail till today, his contributions have since given China a technological edge.
India.com
7 hours ago
- India.com
Iran Israel war: Man who helped develop B-2 Bomber was an Indian, but he is in jail now due to..., his name is..
Iran Israel war: Man who helped develop B-2 Bomber was an Indian, but he is in jail now due to..., his name is.. Iran Israel war: US recently used its B2 Spirit bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites. This aircraft is also called stealth bombers. However, very few know that this aircraft has a connection with India. An Indian US citizen was also involved in making the propulsion system of this aircraft, who was later sentenced to 30 years in prison. His name is Noshir Gowadia. Noshir Gowadia is an engineer by profession. He was born in Mumbai and was sentenced to 32 years in prison for sharing classified military information with China. Through this, China had developed a cruise missile exhaust system to make its cruise missiles incapable of detection. Worked on the B2 Spirit bomber According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 81-year-old Gowadia was first arrested in October 2005 on the basis of a criminal complaint. He was accused of giving information related to national security. Information obtained during the trial revealed that Gowadia worked with the manufacturer of B2 bombers for about 20 years between 1968-1986. During this time he worked on the creation of unique propulsion systems and low observable capabilities of B2. He continued to work on classified matters with the US government until 1997. Sentenced to jail Evidence presented during the trial showed that Gowadia visited China six times between June 2003 and July 2005. During this period, he offered his defence services in China in the form of design, test support, test data analysis of technologies. The purpose of this was to help China develop stealthy nozzle and develop cruise missile systems. At the time of his arrest, Gowadia was paid at least $110,000 by China. Gowadia was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to 32 years in prison in 2011. The Pentagon confirmed B-2 bombers were used in the attack, which came after days of rising tensions and a week of escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. On Saturday, the US had repositioned B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam.
India.com
10 hours ago
- India.com
From B-2 Architect To Convicted Spy: This Is How Indian-Origin Engineers Treason Aided Americas Rival Stealth Program
As the United States recently sent its cutting-edge B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to strike a strategic Iranian nuclear facility, fresh satellite images show a disturbing development in China. On May 14, 2025, a massive, B-2-sized stealth UAV, with a virtually identical 52-meter wingspan, was detected at a classified airbase close to Malan in Xinjiang, prompting fears of pilfered designs. This suspicion reignites the infamous spy case of Noshir Gowadia, an India-born engineer who played a critical role in developing the B-2 bomber's stealth propulsion system at Northrop (now Northrop Grumman). With high-level security clearance, Gowadia possessed some of America's most profound defense secrets. But once he quit Northrop in 1986 and began consulting on his own, Gowadia's fortunes began to go awry. In 2005, he was arrested for peddling highly sensitive US military information, including stealth technology, to China. FBI investigations found that he had made several trips to China between 2003 and 2004, supposedly receiving $110,000 in exchange for his services. Gowadia was found guilty on 14 counts of violating US espionage laws in 2010 and sentenced to 32 years in prison. He is serving his sentence in a top-security US prison, namely the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP) Springfield in Missouri, where he was moved in 2025. While Ashton Gowadia has always insisted on his father's innocence and claimed an unfair trial, espionage specialists widely hold that the pilfered designs gave China a huge advantage in its stealth flight programs. The unveiling of China's new stealth drone at testing has raised fears that Beijing will soon have a stealth bomber equal to the B-2, and this can radically change the world balance of air power.
Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Economic Times
Who is Noshir Gowadia, the engineer jailed for over 30 years for leaking secrets of the world's most dangerous B-2 stealth bomber?
Synopsis Noshir Gowadia, a Mumbai-born engineer and one of the architects of America's B-2 stealth bomber, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for passing classified information to China. Once celebrated for revolutionising stealth propulsion, Gowadia helped Beijing develop radar-evading missiles in exchange for money. His case resurfaced as the US deployed B-2 bombers in strikes on Iran and new satellite imagery showed a similar-looking drone at a Chinese base. His tale is a stark reminder of how trust can be weaponised. On 13 October 2005, federal agents raided a Mediterranean-style mansion in Maui, Hawaii. Inside lived Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia—an aerospace engineer born in Mumbai, now a U.S. citizen. He had helped design the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. But that day, he was taken away in handcuffs, accused of selling America's military secrets to China. What followed was one of the most significant espionage trials in U.S. history. ADVERTISEMENT Gowadia was born on 11 April 1944 in Bombay to a Parsi family. Brilliant from a young age, he reportedly earned the equivalent of a PhD by age 15. At 19, he left for the United States to study aeronautical engineering and later became a naturalised American in 1969. Just a year after his citizenship, he joined Northrop Corporation—later Northrop Grumman. He arrived at the perfect time. The U.S. was trying to overcome vulnerabilities exposed during the Vietnam and Yom Kippur wars. Thousands of aircraft had been shot down. America needed a plane that couldn't be seen. Gowadia helped build under a project code-named Blueberry Milkshake, he spent nearly two decades shaping the B-2 Spirit's propulsion system. His focus: making the bomber's exhaust invisible to radar and heat sensors. 'The entire geometry came from me,' he later was no exaggeration. The B-2's radical flying-wing design and stealth features allowed it to evade detection, deliver 40,000 pounds of bombs, and fly 10,000 nautical miles with one refuelling. ADVERTISEMENT But while his work was celebrated, Gowadia grew disillusioned. Also Read: How an Indian engineer helped US make the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber and then sold the secrets to China ADVERTISEMENT In 1986, Gowadia was forced to leave Northrop after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. He then started a defence consulting firm in New Mexico, working on top-secret projects until his security clearance was revoked in 1997 following a contract dispute with DARPA. His bitterness deepened. 'I was one of the fathers of the U.S. Air Force Northrop B-2 Stealth Bomber,' he wrote to a relative. ADVERTISEMENT Around the same time, he purchased a $3.5 million villa in Maui, taking out a hefty mortgage. With $15,000 monthly payments and no security clearance, he needed cash. Fast. Read more on the Israel-Iran ceasefire here ADVERTISEMENT In 2003, Gowadia began a covert partnership with Chinese officials. Using aliases like 'Catch a Monkey,' he made six trips to cities such as Chengdu and Shenzhen. His job: help China build a stealth cruise missile by designing an exhaust nozzle that reduced infrared and radar signatures—just like the B-2' these efforts, he was paid at least $110,000. According to The BBC, he used the money to pay off his mortgage. Customs officials flagged the large cash sum. Gowadia said it was for an antique wasn' later showed he helped China test the nozzle in 2004 and provided them with detailed analyses on how to avoid U.S. missile detection. His betrayal gave China a technological FBI began investigating in 2004 when shipping documents linked to Gowadia raised alarms. A container addressed to him contained restricted defence materials. Surveillance increased. Searches at airports yielded more 13 October 2005, 15 agents swarmed his Maui home. They found 500 pounds of evidence: computers, blueprints, emails, and thumb drives filled with sensitive interrogation, he confessed, 'On reflection what I did was wrong to help the PRC make a cruise missile. What I did was espionage and treason because I shared military secrets with the PRC.' Also Read: Qatar mediates as Trump declares end to 12-day Israel-Iran war with phased ceasefire, vows it will last 'forever' The trial began in Honolulu in 2010 and lasted nearly four months. Gowadia's lawyers argued that he shared only declassified information. The judge disagreed.U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said, 'He broke his oath of loyalty to the United States. He was found guilty of marketing valuable technology to foreign countries for personal gain.'After six days of jury deliberation, Gowadia was convicted on 14 of 17 counts. He was sentenced to 32 years in a maximum-security prison in Gowadia remains behind bars. But the story didn't end with his conviction. In May 2025, satellite images showed a new drone at China's Malan test base. It looked almost identical to the B-2. Analysts say it might be part of China's secretive H-20 programme or a new high-altitude stealth exhaust design and tailless silhouette mirror the Spirit's profile. Experts believe it's no coincidence. What Gowadia handed over in the early 2000s may now be airborne. Noshir Gowadia admitted in court, 'What I did was espionage and treason.'His son, Ashton Gowadia, has challenged the verdict, claiming the trial was skewed, 'The entire narrative was controlled by the FBI.'Dubbed the 'Spirit,' the B-2 bomber is one of the most sophisticated aircraft ever built. It was designed not just to fly but to disappear. With its bat-wing shape, radar-absorbing materials, and deeply buried engines, the B-2 emits a radar cross-section no larger than a bird. It can fly 10,000 nautical miles with a single refuelling, cruise at altitudes above 50,000 feet, and deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons—all while staying nearly invisible to enemy most innovative features include a tailless flying-wing configuration, an infrared-suppressing exhaust system, and internal weapons bays that reduce its external profile. Noshir Gowadia's contributions—particularly the stealth exhaust nozzle—were essential in ensuring the B-2 remained undetectable by radar and heat-seeking invisibility became headline news again in June tensions between Iran and Israel spiralled, the United States launched a surprise operation codenamed Midnight Hammer. Seven B-2 bombers flew non-stop from the U.S., crossed into Iranian airspace, and struck three key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. This marked the B-2's return to the frontline of global precision strike caught Iran off-guard. Military analysts described it as a 'shock and awe' manoeuvre—made possible by decades of American stealth innovation. Also Read: Donald Trump announces phased Israel-Iran ceasefire but who blinked first? Here's what we know (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
