A Maui resident who was a former design engineer for a large defense contractor has been accused of selling classified information about the B-2 stealth bomber to at least three foreign governments, the FBI said yesterday.

Noshir S. Gowadia of Haiku was arrested yesterday on suspicion of "willfully communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it," which is punishable by fines and up to 10 years in prison, the FBI said.

"This is an extremely important case and we won't be commenting until we're prepared to do so," said U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo in a telephone interview last night from Ontario, Calif.

The FBI said Gowadia on Oct. 23, 2002 allegedly faxed a document to an official of an unnamed foreign country that contained details for developing infrared technology that would be used on a foreign military aircraft.

The document, "which was a proposal for infrared suppression, was determined to be classified at the Top Secret level by the original classification authority of the United States Air Force," the FBI said.

Infrared suppression allows aircraft to escape detection and to avoid attacks by heat-seeking missiles.

The FBI also alleged that over the past several years, Gowadia "engaged in other specified criminal activity, during which he communicated or otherwise delivered classified information" to two additional unnamed foreign governments or their representatives, the FBI said. No details of that alleged activity was released yesterday.

The FBI stated Gowadia "has been rewarded financially for his efforts."

Gowadia is being held without bail at the federal detention center at Honolulu International Airport, the FBI said.

The arrest occurred after agents with the FBI, the U.S. Air Force's Office of Special Investigations and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a search warrant at Gowadia's Maui home on Oct. 13, the FBI said.

The agency did not disclose any additional information about the evidence gathered.

From November 1968 to April 1986, Gowadia worked for Northrop Grumman Corp., which was involved in the design and manufacture of the B-2 Spirit Bomber, the FBI said. During his tenure with the company, Gowadia worked in the development of the aircraft's propulsion system, the FBI said.

Dan McClain, a corporate communications director for Northrop Grumman, declined comment yesterday.

The B-2 is a strategic, long-range bomber that can fly more than 6,000 miles before refueling while carrying 40,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear weapons, according to Northrop Grumman's Web site.

Its stealth design allows it to fly virtually undetected by enemy radar at a ceiling of 50,000 feet. During Operation Allied Force and Operation Enduring Freedom, the bomber performed missions up to 44 hours long, according to the company.

There are 21 B-2s in service, and all are stationed with the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

HAS OWN COMPANY

State records show that Gowadia headed a research and development, engineering and consulting company called N.S. Gowadia Inc., which was incorporated in New Mexico and was licensed to do business here. He and his wife were listed as officers for the company.

Gowadia and his wife in June 1999 purchased a two-acre lot on Holokai Road on Maui for $330,000, according to county property records. At the time, the couple listed a New Mexico mailing address.

In 2002, a 6,790-square-foot home with 11 rooms and two fireplaces was built on the Holokai Road property, the records show. For tax purposes, the county in 2004 assessed the value of the home and land at nearly $1.64 million.

Neighbors yesterday said they did not know Gowadia or his wife well.

REAL-ESTATE DEALINGS

That wasn't their first venture into the Hawai'i real-estate market.

In July 1999, the couple bought a Kihei condo from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for $75,000, then sold it in May 2001 for $121,000, property records show.

HUD typically sells homes lost by previous owners through foreclosure.

In February 2001, they purchased a home in Kihei for $350,000, then sold it in October 2003 for $575,000, according to the records.

The couple took out a $2.9 million loan this year, county records show, but it wasn't clear what the loan was for.

A Google search of Noshir Gowadia indicates that he was chief designer for a team that did specialized work for the B-2 bomber.

A reference to an article in Jane's International Defense Review said this:

"NTech Establishment, registered in Liechtenstein and operating from Hawaii, is developing an Advanced Infrared Suppression System (AIRSS) that it believes could render airliners and military airlifters virtually invulnerable to attack by IR-guided man-portable air-defense systems. NTech's principal and chief designer, Noshir Gowadia, formerly led the team charged with minimizing the IR signature of the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber and has participated in numerous other 'special-access' programs."

According to Purdue University's Web site, Gowadia was recently appointed a visiting professor and taught a course on aircraft survivability during the spring semester.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com and Rob Perez at rperez@honoluluadvertiser.com.