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A 61-year-old Indian American was indicted by a federal grand jury for selling B-2 bomber design secrets to foreign governments. Noshir S Gowadia has been accused of "transmitting national defence information and exporting classified technical data related to defence articles to foreign persons" on three occasions, according to the United States attorney's office.
Gowadia, a former design engineer at Norththrop Grumman and principal designer of the B-2's propulsion system, was indicted on six counts Tuesday.
Counts one through three allege "communication, delivery and transmission of national defense information". Counts four through six allege violations of the Arms Export Control Act.
Each count carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence and a fine up to $250,000.
Noshir Gowadia, resident of Haiku, Maui, (Hawaii) faces more than 60 years in federal prison if convicted on all the charges stemming from selling top-secret national defense information on three occasion over a two-year period, beginning in October 2002, according to US Attorney Edward H Kubo Jr.
He was formerly employed with Northrop Grumman Corporation -- the company which designed and manufactured the B-2 Spirit Bomber. He was arrested on October 25 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for allegedly passing on top secret military technology to foreign governments or their representatives.
According to the indictment, Gowadia assisted in the development of an infrared suppression system for the propulsion system of the B-2 Spirit bomber, a then-classified programme.
He is accused in the indictment of transmitting to a foreign official a document containing details for developing the technology for a foreign military aircraft. Law enforcement officials declined to identify the countries to which Gowadia had allegedly passed on the techonology secrets.