Chinese Intel Expert: Leaked F-35, F-15 Documents ‘Appear Authentic’

According to a Chinese intelligence expert, documents found on the encrypted forum Telegram related to the F-35 appear to be authentic. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Online posts of purportedly secret documents relating to the F-35, F-15, and some advanced weapons systems appear to be genuine, according to a Chinese intelligence expert.

The South China Morning Post, an independent newspaper in Hong Kong, said the expert, a man named Tang, an executive of Beijing-based antivirus and security company Rising Information Technology, reviewed some of the documents posted on the encrypted forum Telegram by Ivan Ivanof, who claims to be a Russian military pilot.

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The expert told the Morning Post the documents “appear authentic” and Ivanof, who goes by the Telegram name of Fighterbomber, claims to have 250 gigabytes more of the same.

In his post, Ivanof said he received the documents from an American company. In addition to information on the aircraft, they appear to have data on the Switchblade drone and guided missile systems.

The U.S. has not yet issued a statement on the alleged leak. Tang also told the newspaper only government and military officials can determine whether the documents have any intelligence value.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

Russ NilesContributor

Russ Niles has been a journalist for 40 years, a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb in 2003. When he’s not writing about airplanes he and his wife Marni run a small winery in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.