A prominent Russian military blogger, known as “Fighterbomber” on the Telegram messaging app, has claimed to possess and leak 250 gigabytes of sensitive U.S. military data. The leaked information reportedly includes technical manuals and details concerning advanced U.S. weapons systems such as the F-35 Lightning II and F-15 Eagle jet fighters, as well as guidance systems for precision munitions. Despite the gravity of these claims, the Pentagon has dismissed the information as false.
The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which has around 500,000 subscribers and is said to be connected to Russia’s air force, initially shared files allegedly containing maintenance manuals and other sensitive data about U.S. military aircraft and weapons. Among the documents were purportedly manuals for Paveway II guidance kits, instructions for F-15 Eagle jets, and details about Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) that convert unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons. Additional files were claimed to include instructions for U.S.-designed drones and the advanced F-35 jets. Some of these files have reportedly been deleted since their initial publication, but several remain accessible.
A Pentagon spokesperson, responding to inquiries, labeled the information published on Telegram as “false,” although it remains unclear whether the Defense Department has reviewed the entire cache of files. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, assured that they have robust cybersecurity measures to protect against such breaches. Similarly, Raytheon, another defense contractor implicated in the leaks, declined to comment on the specific documents.
Despite these reassurances, cybersecurity experts who reviewed the documents have suggested that the content appears “highly authentic.” Tang, the chief marketing officer of Beijing-based antivirus firm Rising Information Technology, noted that the leaked documents, although not strictly blueprints, are detailed and resemble other U.S. military information previously leaked online.
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