Taylor Adam Lee sought to share the vulnerabilities of Abrams {hardware} with a “international adversary,” the Division of Justice has claimed
A US Military soldier has been arrested for allegedly making an attempt to cross labeled particulars about M1A2 Abrams tanks to Russia in alternate for citizenship, the Division of Justice has mentioned. The US despatched 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in 2023, though a big quantity have been knocked out.
In a press release on Wednesday, the DOJ mentioned Taylor Adam Lee, 22, an active-duty service member primarily based in Fort Bliss, Texas, was charged with “tried transmission of nationwide protection data to a international adversary” – which included technical particulars and vulnerabilities of the primary US battle tank – in addition to “tried export of managed technical information with no license.”
The DOJ accused Lee, who has High Secret/Delicate Compartmented Info safety clearance, of sending Russia technical information on-line in June and expressing willingness to help Moscow. He allegedly informed Russian officers: “The USA is just not proud of me for making an attempt to reveal their weaknesses… At this level I’d even volunteer to help the Russian Federation after I’m there in any approach.”
Prosecutors declare Lee then met in July with somebody he believed to be a Russian authorities consultant, throughout which he allegedly handed over an SD card containing technical information on the Abrams tank, one other unidentified armored combating automobile, and fight operations.
Lee additionally allegedly mentioned the opportunity of offering Russia with a particular piece of {hardware} contained in the M1A2 Abrams tank, later reportedly delivering it at a storage unit in El Paso and sending a message to an alleged Russian official that learn “Mission achieved.”
Moscow has but to touch upon the allegations.
The US supplied Ukraine with 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks within the autumn of 2023, though a number of studies have indicated they had been ill-suited for situations on the bottom and weak to drones.
Furthermore, the tanks had been reportedly supplied in an export variant missing the newest upgraded depleted uranium armor and fireplace management programs. A good portion of them have reportedly been destroyed, with Russia showcasing one Abrams at an exhibition final 12 months.
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