Engineer Tried to Steal Newest Aircraft Carrier Designs

A civilian engineer employed by the U.S. Navy is alleged to have tried to steal the blueprints for the newest and largest generation of the U.S. aircraft carriers, the Gerald R. Ford class.

Fox News reports the engineer is Saudi Arabian born Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, a 35-year-old who was residing in Yorktown, VA at the time of his arrest.

Awwad is alleged to have tried to pass on documents and blueprints pertaining to the Ford class carriers and their weaknesses. Fox reports that Awwad met with a federal officer who was posing as a member of the Egyptian intelligence apparatus.

The primary focus of their exchanges was where to target the ship with missiles so that it would sink.  Awwad is facing two charges of attempted export of defense articles and technical data, each of which carries a potential prison term of 20 years.

The Navy hired Awward in Feb. 2014 and he received a security clearance in Aug. Awwad was employed in the nuclear engineering and planning department of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Awwad and the undercover officer discussed dead drops locations in isolated woods, and Awwad took a number of steps to provide the agent with the pertinent information.

On Oct. 9 Awwad asked for money for a small digital camera he could use to clandestinely take photos around the shipyard. On Oct. 23 he dropped off the photos and received $3,000. On Nov. 28, Awwad was seen taking pictures of blueprints for the aircraft carrier.

Awwad was apprehended Dec. 5 and appeared in court where a judge said his first hearing would be Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The Gerald R. Ford class carriers are the largest aircraft carriers ever built by the United States. The first one is expected to enter service sometime in 2016.