The trial of James W. Fondren Jr., a retired USAF lieutenant colonel and former Pentagon civilian employee who is accused of passing classified information to Tai Shen Kuo, an agent of China, began Sept. 21 in US District Court in Alexandria, Va. The Examiner reports that convicted spy Kuo, a naturalized US citizen, testified against Fondren and that the prosecution introduced e-mails that showed Fondren knew the information he passed was classified and was going to the Chinese government. Fondren’s attorney has maintained Fondren did not know Kuo was a spy. (Justice Department release on Fondren’s indictment)
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.