Did China nab EP-3’s
equipment manuals?

WASHINGTON – Lost in the debate over whether a U.S. Navy crew was able to destroy all the equipment aboard the downed EP-3 surveillance plane in China is whether it also was able to destroy, or at least secure in some way, classified documents used by repair technicians to fix malfunctioning equipment.

If not, China may have found a faster and easier way to gain secrets to U.S. reconnaissance technology than reverse-engineering the aircraft’s equipment.

“All military equipment will have a set of TOs, or technical orders, that will cover equipment operation and maintenance for each specific piece of equipment,” a defense contractor told WorldNetDaily.

He said TOs would be needed to ensure the equipment is running within set specifications and that repairs could be accomplished in flight or “at a diverted landing point if needed.”

“Keep in mind that some of the people on board are equipment-repair technicians and not just equipment operators,” the computer contractor said.

Whidbey Island (Wash.) Naval Air Station Petty Officer Joaquin Juatai confirmed that the 24-member EP-3 crew included repair technicians.

And a former Navy officer familiar with EP-3 operations near China said: “Air crews in such aircraft would have manuals on hand to reference for emergency repairs in flight.”

China has agreed “in principle” to let the U.S. ship the plane out of the communist country in pieces on a chartered commercial cargo plane. No departure date has been set.

“Do the Chinese now have a set of TOs that show them in great detail how U.S. forces operate and repair every piece of classified equipment on board this type of plane?” the contractor asked.

The Pentagon isn’t saying.

“An intelligence assessment is currently under way (and) it would not be appropriate to go into any more details,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Comm. Terry Sutherland.

Juatai said he would ask one of the EP-3 pilots if the crew was able to destroy or secure the technical orders for the equipment.

But his response was preempted by Whidbey Island spokeswoman Kim Martin, who called back instead.

“Yes, he asked a pilot,” she said, “and the correct answer is, and the right answer is – we can’t give an answer.”

“I would not be able to give that information, since this incident in China is still under investigation,” Martin explained.