Japanese Police Raid Naval Centre Over Aegis Data Leak

Agency France Press ^ | May 19, 2007 | Staff Writers

[Paul Ross]

Japanese Police Raid Naval Centre Over Aegis Data Leak

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) May 19, 2007

Japanese police and naval officials raided a training centre for seamen Saturday in connection with the leaking of secret information on the US-developed high-tech Aegis combat system. Investigators searched the facility in Hiroshima prefecture, where sailors are put through specialised training in gunnery and torpedo operations.

Earlier this year it emerged that authorities had questioned a 33-year-old petty officer for allegedly obtaining the confidential data on the Aegis system without authorisation.

The case has unfolded since the officer's Chinese wife was arrested in late January for a visa violation.

Investigators now suspect the Hiroshima training facility distributed the data as educational material, local media said.

The Aegis system has cutting-edge radar and can launch missiles at more than 10 targets at one time. The Japanese navy has five Aegis-equipped vessels.

The Maritime Self Defense Force said it was cooperating with the investigation.

"We are in no position to comment on the matter, with the investigation ongoing. We will continue to cooperate with the investigation and analyse the cause of the incident and ensure similar incidents will be prevented," said a navy spokesman, reading from a prepared statement.

Police have already confiscated computer equipment from the seaman's home containing data on the Aegis system and Aegis-equipped destroyers, local media said.

The petty officer could have violated a domestic law that protects information involving US forces stationed here, news reports said.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

[Paul Ross]

Japanese Aegis destroyer.

The usual tactic of the Chinese is, from a couple senior positions, try and so erode and compromise the security precautions around sensitive or classified information, that their agents will have "plausible deniability" that there was nothing actually "sensitive" or "classified" here...move along, move along.

Their lawyers then have a field day defending them from the prosecutor's charges. Hopefully for our sakes, the Japanese appear to have caught wise to this, and are moving up the food chain to try and catch the more dangerous moles.

[Zhang Fei]

The Chinese used to have this hook of international communist solidarity to recruit foreign spies. These days, they’re about as communist as Mussolini. So they’re using yellow solidarity among Asian countries. The problem with doing that in Japan is that you get these periodic anti-Japanese riots in China by people who are bused in by the Chinese government.

[Sax]

the officer's Chinese wife was arrested in late January for a visa violation.

Because they knew an espionage charge would immediately sound alarms and threaten their plans to buy F-22 Raptors. Which apparently it did since those plans have been deep sixed.

[Spruce]

I KNEW the ChiComs were involved by just reading the headline.

[Paul Ross]

FYI

[Zhang Fei]

Because they knew an espionage charge would immediately sound alarms and threaten their plans to buy F-22 Raptors. Which apparently it did since those plans have been deep sixed.

We're not selling those to the Brits or the Aussies. Japan's not even in the picture. Espionage or not, it's not happening, especially since Japan is given to statements of yellow solidarity, and cartels with Chinese and South Korean companies. Who knows when they will decide the Chinese are their long-lost friends.

[Tainan]

Approx 1 month ago I was flying from Taiwan to the USA via Osaka and picked up an English language Japanese newspaper in Osaka. This story was on page 1. All the details listed here - Aegis doc’s, Chinese wife, etc. This guy and his wife had been under surveil for quite a while. I was discussing it with a person also on the flight and it was agreed that this had much ramifications and was only part of an ongoing larger Chinese effort.

Frankly, its ‘bidness as usual’ in this arena.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!