In a stunning demonstration of military capability, the United States recently used its stealth B-2 Spirit bomber to target Iran’s most fortified nuclear facility—marking an unprecedented application of air power. While this headline-grabbing move captured global attention, another significant development has been unfolding quietly in the shadows: China appears to be progressing with its own stealth bomber program. Satellite images dated May 14, 2025, obtained by The War Zone, captured a strikingly large, stealthy aircraft with a flying wing design at a covert test site near Malan in China’s Xinjiang region.
The mysterious aircraft, which resembles a drone, is believed to be a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) platform. Analysts say its appearance outside newly constructed hangars suggests it could be part of a broader technological ecosystem involving China’s next-generation stealth projects such as the H-20 bomber and the J-36 fighter jet. Experts have estimated the aircraft’s wingspan to be roughly 52 meters—or about 170 feet—placing it in the same size category as the U.S. B-2 Spirit.
Though the sighting points to an impressive feat in aviation, questions persist about whether China’s technological leap was entirely indigenous. A shadow from the past resurfaces in this context, involving a man who was once an integral part of America’s stealth program. In 2005, former Northrop engineer Noshir Gowadia was arrested for leaking top-secret U.S. defense information to China and other foreign nations. His betrayal may have sown the seeds for the capabilities now visible in China’s burgeoning stealth aircraft arsenal.
Gowadia, born in Bombay (now Mumbai), joined Northrop in the 1960s. During his time with the company, he played a critical role in the development of the B-2’s revolutionary low-observable propulsion and stealth technology. After leaving Northrop in 1986, Gowadia went on to launch his own consulting firm. However, by 2004, federal investigators were scrutinizing his activities after classified infrared suppression documents were discovered in a furniture shipment addressed to him. The FBI’s findings indicated something far more alarming than a paperwork mishap.
According to Popular Mechanics, Gowadia had made several trips to China between 2003 and 2004, during which he allegedly handed over sensitive details about stealth technology. In return, he received approximately $110,000 over a span of three years. The FBI acted decisively in October 2005, raiding his home in Maui, Hawaii, and seizing 500 pounds of material that included paper documents and electronic storage devices.
“Gowadia had spent two decades at the aerospace and defense contractor Northrop (now Northrop Grumman) where he was instrumental in designing the stealth propulsion system for the B-2 Spirit bomber, one of the most revolutionary military technologies in generations,” the report stated. “He once had top security clearance and taught university classes in advanced aeronautical principles.”
Initially, Gowadia denied any wrongdoing, but eventually he submitted a written confession. “On reflection, what I did was wrong to help the PRC make a cruise missile. What I did was espionage and treason,” he admitted. His acknowledgment of guilt left little ambiguity about the gravity of his actions. In 2010, he was convicted on 14 counts under both the Arms Export Control Act and the Espionage Act. The following year, he was sentenced to 32 years in prison. Today, he remains incarcerated at the supermax federal penitentiary in Florence, Colorado.
Despite the conviction, the case continues to generate controversy. Gowadia’s son, Ashton Gowadia, has steadfastly maintained his father’s innocence. He alleges that vital pieces of evidence were withheld during the trial and that the FBI shaped the entire narrative to ensure a conviction. While these claims persist, the consensus among security experts is that the damage was already irreversible.
The intelligence compromised by Gowadia seems to have accelerated China’s access to advanced stealth capabilities. Observers now see a direct link between his betrayal and the technological maturity reflected in China’s recent aviation developments. The newly spotted aircraft near Malan bears key design similarities to the B-2 Spirit, particularly in its flying wing structure and its apparent ability to reduce radar cross-section, both hallmarks of American stealth design.
Though full operational details about the Chinese craft remain classified or speculative, its dimensions and structure hint at more than just a surveillance role. The aircraft could potentially be a manned bomber, a large autonomous drone, or a flexible platform capable of carrying advanced payloads for both reconnaissance and strike missions. With projects like the H-20 long-range stealth bomber reportedly in development for over a decade, the emergence of this HALE-like aircraft reinforces speculation that China is close to unveiling its own version of the B-2.
The geopolitical implications of this development are profound. As the U.S. continues to maintain a technological edge with proven platforms like the B-2, the emergence of a near-peer Chinese equivalent represents a shift in the balance of strategic air power. The B-2 remains the only operational stealth bomber in the world with long-range strike capabilities and the ability to penetrate the most heavily defended airspaces. However, if China succeeds in fielding a similar craft, it could significantly alter the equation of deterrence and response in any future conflict scenario.
China has remained tight-lipped about the aircraft spotted near Malan. No official statements have been released, nor have any details been published in state-controlled media. Nonetheless, defense analysts agree that this sighting adds weight to growing concerns about China’s rapid advancements in military aerospace technology. These developments are especially notable given the country’s past reliance on reverse-engineering foreign systems. With help from figures like Gowadia, China’s journey to achieving true stealth capabilities may have gained crucial momentum.
In retrospect, the full scope of Gowadia’s betrayal goes beyond the man himself. It exposed vulnerabilities in America’s defense industrial security and provided adversarial powers with a shortcut to catching up. The fallout from his actions is now playing out in satellite images, in foreign hangars, and perhaps soon in global airspace.
As China edges closer to deploying a stealth bomber that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the B-2, the world is witnessing a new era of aerial warfare defined not just by innovation, but also by the lingering consequences of espionage.