How Did Chinese Hackers Steal US F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Technology?

Zikrul
By -
0
How Did Chinese Hackers Steal US F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Technology?


China is frequently accused of cyber espionage and theft of classified military information, especially by its arch-enemy, the United States.

Through its hackers or hackers, Beijing is even accused of stealing sensitive American technology used in the F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Russia, now a staunch ally of China, has also made similar accusations against Beijing in the past. Several years ago, Russian state media; Sputnik, criticized China's J-15 aircraft for its many shortcomings.

Moscow also accuses Beijing of reverse engineering the Russian Su-33 it brought from Ukraine to produce an aircraft capable of being operated from its own aircraft carrier, the J-15.

However, this is not about the Su-33 or about Russia. The two countries have abandoned hostilities to mend relations that challenge the United States, their common enemy.

The United States undeniably has one of the largest and most advanced Air Forces in the world.

Washington boasts two fifth-generation stealth fighters – the F-22 Raptor which refuses to be sold to any country and, the mighty F-35 Lightning II, one of the most advanced fighters in the world.

The US Department of Defense and program contractors have been pretty tight-lipped on the technology and some of the key features of the F-35. For example, specific information about the F-35's electronic warfare capabilities is hard to come by.

However, the United States later accused China of stealing technology used in the F-35 fighter to manufacture its own fifth-generation stealth fighter.

According to a review by The EurAsian Times, Saturday (5/2/2022), suspicions of China's role in stealing F-35 information first surfaced in the public domain after former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden allegedly leaked several classified documents to German media. Der Spiegel, in 2015. The leaked data shows the full extent of China's cyber-espionage efforts.

Records shared with Der Spiegel show that Chinese hackers were able to access classified information about the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet. According to insiders, a data leak occurred at key subcontractor Lockheed Martin in 2007.

 Furthermore, in 2019, the then-Donald Trump administration's National Security Adviser, John Bolton, accused China of stealing US technology to build its own stealth fighter.

The Chinese Hacking Case On August 1, 2018, China commemorated the founding day of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by deliberately leaking several high-resolution photos of the fifth-generation J-20 stealth aircraft to the media. Photographs of the J-20 released later in 2019 provide a close-up view of the fuselage.

They also revealed a sensor system that appears to be identical to the Lockheed Martin Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) on the front of the F-35 Lighting II.

Many terabytes of data related to the F-35 program are believed to have been stolen by Chinese hackers, including information about the F-35's radar design such as the number and types of modules used by its systems and engines, including methods used for gas cooling, front and rear edge treatments. , and a rear deck heating contour map, stated "1945".

Chinese hackers also appear to have obtained material on the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor and B-2 stealth bomber, as well as space-based lasers, missile guidance and tracking systems, as well as designs for nuclear submarines and anti-air missiles.

This theft, including information related to the F-35, is thought to be part of a larger Chinese cyber campaign dubbed "Byzantine Hades" by US officials.

This campaign, which may have started in early 2006, has been linked to the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau operating as part of the People's Liberation Army's Third Department.

The Chinese reportedly prefer a "spear-phishing" approach to gaining access to classified material, which requires a compromised email account and password to enter a secure network.

Secret US State Department documents obtained by WikiLeaks and made available to Reuters by a third party tracking breaches of China's military system, dubbed "Byzantine Hades" by US investigators.

According to the document, the sites being tracked were registered in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in central China.

According to a Reuters report, the sites were set up by Chen Xingpeng, who used the "precise" zip code in Chengdu used by the People's Liberation Army First Technical Reconnaissance Bureau (TRB) of the Chengdu Province People's Liberation Army, a Chinese military electronic espionage group.

J-31 and F-35 Fighter Jets Since then, there has been some skepticism about using the J-20 as some of its components have some eerie similarities to the F-35's design including stealth features.

Nonetheless, US military experts have often dismissed China's claims that the J-20 is a fifth-generation fighter. However, the J-20 "Mighty Dragon" has two nose canards, which makes it different from the F-35.

There is another fifth-generation stealth fighter in China that is still in development. It shares the same specifications as the American F-35 and some Western analysts doubt that China may have stolen the technology to manufacture the futuristic J-31 (FC-31) fighter.

Information relating to the F-35 allegedly stolen by Chinese hackers has most likely been fed into China's efforts to manufacture advanced fighters, particularly the J-20 and, in particular, the FC-31 (formerly known as the J-31).

Indeed, public images of the FC-31, as well as Chinese media coverage of the aircraft, reveal significant similarities between the two.

The Shenyang FC-31 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter and will be China's second domestically produced stealth fighter when it enters service.

The FC-31 is being designed as a multi-role fighter, similar to the F-35, and will be able to perform a variety of missions such as close air support (CAS) and interdiction operations, as well as suppression of enemy air defenses, and may also be operated as a ground-based fighter. aircraft carrier.

The FC-31 is powered by two Russian designed RD-93 turbofan engines and has a maximum speed of 2,200 km/h and a range of over 2,000 km.

The aircraft can be equipped with state-of-the-art avionics such as multifunction displays, helmet-mounted sights, electro-optical targeting systems (EOTS), altitude control indicators (ADI), and advanced sensor and communication systems.

The FC-31 is armed with an internal cannon and two internal gun bays capable of carrying two missiles each, as well as three hardpoints for placing weapons on each wing.

Doubts about the possible theft of American technology will disappear once China officially launches and operates its FC-31.


Subscribe Daily Post or Follow Google News to update information quickly, Thank you..!!

Post a Comment

0Comments

Post a Comment (0)

#buttons=(Ok, Go it!) #days=(20)

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Learn more
Ok, Go it!