There are a lot of infamous names sitting in the escape-proof U.S. Penitentiary at ADX Florence – also known as “The Alcatraz of the Rockies.” Terry Nichols, one of the Oklahoma City bombers, is there. His accomplice, Timothy McVeigh, was also held at Florence before his death sentence was carried out.
Former federal agent Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in American history, was imprisoned there before he completed his life sentence on June 5, 2023. The Unabomber spent time there, as did the Shoe Bomber, one of the Boston Marathon Bombers… you get it.
These people are the worst.
Advancing the Art of Aerial Warfare
Considering the company he’s in, it’s no wonder very few people know the name Noshir Gowadia, either in or out of the joint. Gowadia was one of the chief designers of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. He’s not only notable for designing the propulsion system and technology that helps protect the B-2 from heat-seeking missiles – he’s also noteworthy for sharing that information with China, Israel, and others.
Noshir Sheriarji Gowadia was born in India in 1944, but came to the United States as a young man. He became a U.S. citizen and, in 1968, started working for Northrop. For 20 years, he worked for the company, one of America’s top defense contractors. There, he helped to develop critical components of an emerging post-Cold War field. He was creating low-observable technology for aircraft, or as we all have come to call it: “stealth.”
Noshir Gowadia, the world’s worst spy.
In the years he worked there, the technology he helped develop was applied to Tacit Blue, a secret stealth technology demonstrator Northrop flew in the earliest days of stealth. With a Top Secret clearance, Gowadia was trusted to create this new technology, a crucial part of the U.S. Air Force’s then-newest bomber, what would come to be called the B-2 Spirit.
As the development of Northrop’s stealth technology continued, Northrop became Northrop-Grumman. All the while, Gowadia continued working on various stealth aspects of the B-2’s development, including its secret rear section, with its specially-designed suppressed engine exhaust ports.
Although he worked on various aspects of the aircraft, particularly its propulsion system and components that prevent heat-seeking missiles from tracking it, Gowadia eventually left Northrop Grumman to start his own technology consulting business. This is where his efforts go from patriotic to shady and then to downright illegal.
Violating the Arms Export Control Act
N.S. Gowadia, Inc. was founded in 1999 so its founder could lend his skillset to the highest bidder and take home all the money instead of working for a salary. Nothing could be more American than that. Almost immediately, however, he began teaching classes in foreign countries (to foreigners) for money, using secret information he picked up from his time at Los Alamos labs. Using what you know to make money might be the American dream, but using secret information to teach another country is a crime. But Gowadia didn’t stop there.
In 2002, he faxed (yes, faxed) a Top Secret Air Force document detailing infrared technology to at least three foreign countries. If that wasn’t bad (or dumb) enough, Gowadia also sent China a cruise missile design and detailed its effectiveness against American air-to-air missiles, a charge he would later argue was based on unclassified information.
Because there’s nothing more unclassified than how to bring down a stealth bomber. (U.S. Air Force) B-2 first flight (U.S. Air Force)
When investigators finally caught on to Gowadia, they searched his Hawaii home and found evidence that he might have sent secret information to as many as eight foreign countries. They even believed he had secretly traveled to China to help the People’s Republic develop the same stealth exhaust system he developed for the B-2 bomber.
The Arrest
Right away, things looked bad for Gowadia, but his troubles didn’t end there. His company only claimed $750,000 in gross receipts during the time period in question, while Gowadia was purchasing land on the Hawaiian island of Maui and building an almost 7,000-square-foot mansion on it – later valued at $1.64 million. Among the numerous counts for which he was indicted, four of them were related to laundering money from the Chinese government.
Gowadia was actually on more than a dozen espionage charges, espionage-related charges, and money laundering. He was held without bail while awaiting trial, which came five years later. After deliberating for more than five days, the jury came back with a guilty verdict, and Gowadia was sentenced to 32 years in jail.
It’s not known just how damaging Gowadia’s spying was, but authorities are aware that he handed over secrets to Germany, Israel, and China, and possibly to other countries – all under the guise of establishing his technology credentials and drumming up business.
Don’t Miss the Best of Mighty Aviation
We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter.
