Report: Chinese hackers breach top weapons designs

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Chinese hackers have gained access to the designs of many of the nation's most sensitive advanced weapons systems, according to report prepared for the Defense Department and government and defense industry officials,The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The compromised weapons designs include, among others, advanced Patriot missile system, the Navy's Aegis ballistic missile defense systems, the F/A-18 fighter jet, the V-22 Osprey, the Black Hawk helicopter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The confidential report was prepared by the Defense Science Board, a senior advisory group of government and civilian experts.

It does not accuse the Chinese of stealing the designs, but says that the designs of more than two dozen systems were compromised, the Post reported.

The report comes a month before President Obama meets with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in California.

White House press spokesman would not comment Tuesday on specifics of the report, but noted that President Obama and his advisers have spoken often about cybersecurity as a key priority -- and key concern -- of the administration.

"It is an issue that we raised at every level in our meetings with our Chinese counterparts, and I'm sure will be a topic of discussion when the president meets with President Xi in California in early June," Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One, Politico reported.

It also coincides with reports in the Australian media that Chinese hackers had allegedly stolen blueprints for Australian's new spy headquarters.

An alleged breach of U.S. systems was noted in a public report issued by the advisory panel in January, but the section of the report listing the compromised weapons system remained classified until Tuesday. The public version had warned that the Pentagon is unprepared to counter a full-scale cyber-conflict.

The Chinese government has insisted that it does not conduct ­cyber-espionage on U.S. agencies or companies, and government spokesmen often complain that Beijing is a target of U.S. cyberattacks, the Post notes.