Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia’s story is a chilling chronicle of betrayal, weaving together groundbreaking aerospace achievement and profound treachery. Born on April 11, 1944, into a Parsi family in Mumbai, India, Gowadia immigrated to the United States in 1963, became a naturalized citizen, and rose to prominence as a brilliant design engineer at Northrop Grumman. His career trajectory, spanning from November 1968 to April 1986, placed him at the heart of America’s most secretive defense projects. He was one of the principal designers of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, specifically credited with conceiving its revolutionary propulsion system. Gowadia himself boldly claimed the title “father of the technology that protects the B-2 stealth bomber from heat-seeking missiles” – technology that would later become the currency of his espionage.
This legacy makes his subsequent actions all the more stunning. In October 2005, the facade crumbled. After being interviewed twice by authorities and having his home in Hawaii searched, Gowadia was arrested on espionage-related federal charges. The allegations were grave: selling classified information, primarily related to the B-2 bomber, to China, Germany, Israel, and Switzerland. In a damning affidavit, Gowadia admitted transmitting secrets, stating his motive was “to establish technological credibility with potential customers for future business.” Held without bail after his arrest, the legal machinery began its slow grind.
The initial charge swiftly escalated. On November 8, 2006, a federal grand jury in Honolulu returned an 18-count superseding indictment. The core accusation was stark: Gowadia had performed “substantial defense-related services for the People’s Republic of China (PRC)”. Specifically, he was charged with agreeing to design, and later designing, a low observable cruise missile exhaust system nozzle – technology directly derived from his B-2 work, aimed at making Chinese missiles less susceptible to detection and interception. The indictment meticulously detailed six trips Gowadia took to the PRC for this purpose, covert communications via “covert email addresses” with individuals including a representative of the PRC’s “Foreign Experts Bureau,” and related money laundering.
His trial became an epic saga of delays. Initially scheduled for July 10, 2007, it faced multiple continuances – first to February 12, 2008, then to October 2008, then January 21, 2009, and finally May 5, 2009. These delays stemmed from security clearance issues for new defense counsel and, critically, an attempt by Gowadia’s lawyers to establish he suffered from narcissistic personality disorder, rendering him incompetent. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin S.C. Chang decisively rejected this argument in November 2009, finding the defense expert testimony “not credible” and stating Gowadia’s difficult relationship with his lawyers didn’t equate to incompetence. Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway upheld this ruling.
The trial finally commenced in 2010. Opening statements began on April 12, 2010. Over 39 days of highly technical testimony, the prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson, methodically laid out its case. FBI Case Agent Thatcher Mohajerin testified extensively. Defense attorney David Klein represented Gowadia. Closing arguments concluded on July 29, 2010. After five and a half days of deliberation, the jury delivered its verdict on August 9, 2010 (reported August 10): Gowadia was convicted on 14 of the 17 charges against him. The charges included conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, performing defense services for the PRC, and multiple counts of willfully communicating classified national defense information to unauthorized persons in China.
Although sentencing was initially set for November 22, 2010, and Gowadia potentially faced life in prison, Judge Mollway ultimately sentenced him on January 24, 2011, to 32 years in prison. This sentence reflected the immense damage caused by an insider betraying the very technology he helped create. Gowadia was initially incarcerated at the notorious ADX Florence supermax prison before being transferred to MCFP Springfield in 2025. His projected release date is February 1, 2032.
Noshir Gowadia’s journey from celebrated design engineer and principal designer of America’s premier stealth weapon system to a convicted spy serving a 32-year sentence is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of betrayal. His case remains one of the most significant prosecutions for industrial espionage in recent history, a chilling testament to how the architect of invisibility became the source of profound vulnerability. The prosecution’s meticulous chronicling of his six trips to the PRC and design of the stealthy cruise missile nozzle cemented a legacy defined not by innovation, but by treason.
References
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- ^ Shiffman, John (2015-08-25). Operation Shakespeare: The True Story of an Elite International Sting. Simon & Schuster. p. 141. ISBN 9781451655162.
- ^ “NRI charged with selling US army secrets to China.” Times of India 24 November 2006.
- ^ “Former B-2 Bomber Engineer Accused of More Spying”. ABC News. November 10, 2006.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c “US Engineer Convicted of Selling Secrets to China”. America Online. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- ^ “Hawaii Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Providing Defense Information and Services to People’s Republic of China”. Justice.gov. 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
- ^ Jump up to:a b “Noshir Gowadia Espionage Case”. Archived from the original on 2009-03-29. Retrieved 2017-11-20. CI Center page on Gowadia
- ^ Vorsino, Mary (2005-10-28). “‘Father’ of the B-2: A just-released affidavit provides some insight into the mind of an admitted spy living on Maui”. Star-Bulletin. Honolulu. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
- ^ “B-2 engineer awaits trial in secrets scandal[permanent dead link].” Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
- ^ “Federal Bureau of Investigation – Honolulu Field Division – Press Release – Department of Justice”. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2007. (press release). Edward H. Kubo, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. United States Department of Justice. 9 November 2006
- ^ Son says father eager for trial[permanent dead link] Honolulu Advertiser
- ^ Jump up to:a b CI_Center Archived 2008-08-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Chinese Spy ‘Slept’ In U.S. for 2 Decades
- ^ Accused Spy’s Sanity Debated Honolulu Advertiser November 20, 2009
- ^ Audrey McAvoy, “Fed atty: Military secrets sold to pay for HI home” (July 30, 2010). Associated Press.
- ^ Nelson Daranciang. “Maui man guilty in leak of B-2 secrets” (August 19, 2010). Star Advertiser.
- ^ Mary Jacoby. “Hawaii Prosecutor Wins J. Michael Bradford Award for Chinese Espionage Case Archived 2011-10-08 at the Wayback Machine” (October 3, 2011). Main Justice.
- ^ Engineer gets 32 years for military secrets sale
- ^ “Inmate Locator.” Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- 1944 births
- Living people
- Indian emigrants to the United States
- American people of Indian descent
- American people of Parsi descent
- American aerospace engineers
- American people convicted of spying for China
- Inmates of ADX Florence
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- Parsi people from Mumbai
- noshir gowadia
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