Latest news with #NoshirSheriarjiGowadia
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Time of India
'Blueberry milkshake': Who is Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia? Bombay-born Parsi prodigy helped make US B-2 bombers, then became Pentagon nightmare
MUMBAI: A brilliant Bombay-born engineer helped build America's deadliest ghost in the sky. Then he betrayed it. Sold its secrets to China. Decades later, the same B-2 stealth bombers he helped perfect unleashed bunker busters on Iran's nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer on June 22. Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia, now 81, sits behind bars in Colorado's Florence, serving a 32-year sentence handed down on Jan 24, 2011. The former Northrop engineer helped design the B-2 stealth bomber's propulsion system, held top-level security clearance, and taught classified aeronautics. He was convicted of espionage after passing classified information to Beijing. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Born April 11, 1944, to a Parsi family, Gowadia reportedly earned the equivalent of a PhD by 15. At 19, he left for US to study aeronautical engineering and became a naturalised American on July 25, 1969. A year later, he joined Northrop, where he was instrumental in developing the B-2 Spirit's infrared-shielded propulsion system. "The entire geometry came from me," Gowadia later boasted. His internal codename: "Blueberry Milkshake". Northrop secured the B-2 contract in 1981, the bomber's defining breakthrough being its radar-elusive profile. Gowadia's work reduced visual, infrared, and radar signatures - vital to B-2's stealth edge. He left Northrop to start his own defence consultancy in Albuquerque, retaining security clearance. He advised on CIA aircraft and nuclear weapons at Los Alamos, and in 1999, launched NS Gowadia Inc. But mounting expenses drove him to look abroad for clients - a search that ended in China. Gowadia made three trips to China, providing details on stealth propulsion. Beijing used the information to build an undetectable exhaust system for cruise missiles. His total payment: $110,000. Years later, satellites picked up what looked like a B-2 clone drone at a Chinese air base. On Oct 13, 2005, FBI agents knocked on Gowadia's Hawaii home. Gowadia was convicted in 2010, on 14 counts including disclosure of B-2 designs to China and other nations.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Time of India
India-born B-2 engineer's espionage revisited as US targets Iran with stealth bomber
A brilliant Bombay-born engineer helped build America's deadliest ghost in the sky. Then he betrayed it. Sold its secrets to China. Decades later, the same B-2 stealth bombers he helped perfect unleashed bunker busters on Iran's nuclear facilities on June 22. Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia, now 81, sits behind bars in Colorado's Florence, serving a 32-year sentence handed down on Jan 24, 2011. The former Northrop engineer helped design B-2 stealth bomber's propulsion system, held top-level security clearance, and taught classified aeronautics. He was convicted of espionage after passing classified information to Beijing. Born April 11, 1944, to a Parsi family, Gowadia reportedly earned the equivalent of a PhD by 15. At 19, he left for US to study aeronautical engineering and became a naturalised American on July 25, 1969. A year later, he joined Northrop, where he was instrumental in developing the B-2 Spirit's infrared-shielded propulsion system. "The entire geometry came from me," Gowadia said. His internal codename: "Blueberry Milkshake". Northrop secured the B-2 contract in 1981, the bomber's defining breakthrough being its radar-elusive profile. Gowadia's work reduced visual, infrared, and radar signatures - vital to B-2's stealth edge. He left Northrop to start his own defence consultancy in Albuquerque. He advised on CIA aircraft and nuclear weapons at Los Alamos, and in 1999, launched NS Gowadia Inc. But mounting expenses drove him to look abroad for clients - a search that ended in China. Gowadia made three trips to China, providing details on stealth propulsion. Beijing used the information to build an undetectable exhaust system for cruise missiles. His payment: $110,000. Years later, satellites picked up what looked like a B-2 clone drone at a Chinese air base. On Oct 13, 2005, FBI agents knocked on Gowadia's Hawaii home. Seeing handcuffs, Gowadia muttered: "No." The agent tucked them away. On Oct 26, he was arrested and charged with one count of sharing national defence secrets with a foreign nation. On Oct 22, 2005, he wrote his final confession: "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. " Gowadia was convicted on 14 counts under Espionage Act and Arms Export Control Act. His son Ashton said the jury was barred from seeing exonerating documents and vowed to appeal. Now, the engineer's betrayal resurfaces in the shadow of bombs falling over Iran. He sits in Florence, far from Mumbai - a traitor of stealth, undone by his own signature.
India Today
24-06-2025
- India Today
How India-born engineer in B-2 bomber project ended up as China spy
An India-born engineer, Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia, who played a key role in developing the stealth propulsion system of the B-2 Spirit bombers, deployed by the US in Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran, was later sentenced to 32 years in prison for leaking classified military data to China, which it used to develop a stealth exhaust system for its cruise missiles. Gowadia, born in Mumbai, migrated to the US from India in the from the Chinese government, Gowadia also sold classified design information to individuals in Germany, Israel, and to reports, the development of the H-20, China's long-range stealth bomber, was linked to information shared by Gowadia. Though the H-20 was first announced by Chinese officials in 2016, analysts reportedly believe its development began in the early 2000s, around the same time as Gowadia was active as a ENGINEER GOWADIA'S ROLE IN B-2 BOMBER PROJECT Gowadia, who worked as a design engineer for the Northrop Grumman Corporation, contributed to technologies that reduced the B-2 Spirit bombers' radar, infrared, and visual signatures, including innovative exhaust configurations and materials that absorbed radar efforts made the bomber aircraft exceptionally difficult to detect — comparable in radar visibility to a flying disc (frisbee). He also worked on various other propulsion was accused of travelling to China between 2003 and 2005 while designing the missile, according to a BBC indicate he received $110,000 (approximately Rs 91 lakh), which he used to pay off the mortgage on a luxury property in lengthy prosecution began with his arrest in 2005. According to the US Air Force website, in 2010, Gowadia was convicted of 14 out of 17 federal charges that included espionage, violation of the Arms Export Control Act, and several associated claimed that Gowadia's disclosures undermined US national security by giving China access to classified stealth technologies that could challenge American military defence claimed Gowadia shared only publicly available data and argued the government had overclassified the materials. They portrayed him not as a traitor, but as an engineer aiming to advance aerospace technology, not harm US GAVE MISSILE EXHAUST BRIEFINGS IN CHINA: US AIR FORCEDuring his trips to China, Gowadia visited an aeronautical testing facility to identify design flaws and technical deficiencies, in addition to providing briefings and presentations about the missile exhaust system and its heat signature, said the official US Air Force also showed he had provided top-secret information about the TH-98 Eurocopter to a foreign government official in Switzerland and sent other classified information to businesses in Germany and spent nearly two decades, from around 1968 to 1986, at Northrop Grumman, maker of the B-2 bomber. He became a US citizen on July 25, 1969, and continued handling classified government work as a contractor until his security clearance was revoked in was born in 1944 in Bombay (now Mumbai) and moved to the US in the summer of 1963 to study aeronautical engineering.- Ends
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
Who is Noshir Gowadia, the engineer jailed for over 30 years for leaking secrets of the world's most dangerous B-2 stealth bomber?
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. Who is Noshir Gowadia: The man behind America's stealth B-2 bomber 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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Gowadia helped build one. Working 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 said. Live Events It 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. 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 From Pride to Paranoia 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. 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 The China connection to B-2 bombers 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's. For 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 desk. It wasn't. Evidence 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 edge. The 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 documents. On 13 October 2005, 15 agents swarmed his Maui home. They found 500 pounds of evidence: computers, blueprints, emails, and thumb drives filled with sensitive data. During 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 and the sentence 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 Colorado. Fallout and a familiar shape in the sky Today, 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 drone. Its 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.' The B-2 bomber: America's invisible weapon 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 defences. Its 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 missiles. That invisibility became headline news again in June 2025. As 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 conflict. The 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
