Selected documented cases and security concerns. Amber = concern raised, no espionage proven.
| Years | Case | Target | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–11 | Noshir Gowadia | Former Northrop engineer; sold B-2 stealth-exhaust know-how | Convicted; 32 years in prison |
| 2007–09 | “Byzantine Hades” cyber intrusion | F-35 design data (Lockheed contractors) | Data allegedly exfiltrated to China |
| 2009–10 | Dongfan “Greg” Chung | Boeing: Space Shuttle, Delta IV, C-17 documents | First U.S. economic-espionage conviction; 15 years |
| 2014–16 | Su Bin | Boeing hack: C-17, F-22, F-35 data | Pleaded guilty; ~4 years |
| 2017–22 | Jiangsu MSS “engine” campaign | GE Aviation & Safran turbofan secrets (for the C919) | Xu Yanjun 20 yrs; Ji Chaoqun 8 yrs; others charged |
| 2018–24 | Rössli Hotel, Meiringen | Overlooked a future Swiss F-35 base | Owners left; permit offences only; no espionage proven |
| 2023 | High-altitude surveillance balloon | Transited the continental United States | Shot down by an F-22 off South Carolina |
| 2025–26 | Qilin Wu | Photographed B-2 bombers, Whiteman AFB | Sentenced to 6 months; to be deported |
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Justice; federal court records; WSJ; AeroTime; U.S. officials & analysts.