JSF programme possibly ‘compromised’

JSF programme possibly ‘compromised’: BAE

By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington

Published: May 1 2008 23:37 | Last updated: May 1 2008 23:37

Secret technology on the $300bn Joint Strike Fighter programme might have been compromised by “unauthorised access” at BAE Systems, the UK defence company, according to an internal Pentagon report.

While the Pentagon inspector-general found no instances of technology leakage, it said “advanced aviation and weapons technology in the Joint Strike Fighter programme may have been compromised by unauthorised access at facilities and in computers at BAE Systems”.

BAE is one of the foreign contractors on the fighter, a stealth aircraft that is being built by, and will be sold to, multiple US allies.

The report criticised the Defense Security Service, the part of the defence department charged with ensuring foreign companies working on US defence contracts did not jeopardise classified information. However, it also accused BAE of not complying with requirements to provide the Pentagon with security audits.

The inspector-general said BAE had not provided security reports between 2001 and 2003 on the grounds that “all information contained in the internal audits was privileged and not available to the government, despite the requirement in the SSA [special security agreement] that the contractor submit those reports to the [defence department] for review and appropriate action”.

It added that the DSS should have questioned the BAE claims that the information was privileged.

BAE was not available to comment on the report.

Nick Schwellenbach, national security investigator at the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group that obtained the report, questioned how the Pentagon could allow BAE to prevent it from having access to the reports. “This is government information and BAE is stiff-arming the Pentagon,” he said. “Systemic problems at DSS mean we cannot be sure if contractors are protecting classified information as well as they should.”

Loren Thompson, a defence consultant who advises companies including BAE, argued that since the company was involved in highly sensitive US military contracts it was “implausible” it had mishandled classified information. He added that any infraction of the rules would have been a “technical violation”. Mr Thompson said BAE was careful about protecting classified information to avoid giving US defence companies the chance to “use the foreign card against them”.

While the report raised concerns about security at BAE, and lax oversight within the DSS, it concluded the government and its contractors had “appropriately controlled the export of classified JSF technology to foreign companies”.