Russia’s FSB state security service has arrested a Russian scientist Anatoly Gubanov suspected of handing over secret aviation development data.
Multiple news outlets reported that Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court ruled to arrest Gubanov until February 2, 2021, suspected of committing a crime stipulated by Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code (High Treason). If convicted, Gubanov may face up to 20 years in prison.
According to a source in law enforcement, Gubanov handed over secret hypersonic development data abroad. He worked on the international project HEXAFLY-INT (High-speed EXperimental FLY Vehicles-INTernational) collaboration with the EU for a civil hypersonic airliner.
In the HEXAFLY-INT project Russia is represented by Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) named after P.I. Baranov, Flight Research Institute (LII) named after M.M. Gromov and Department of Aeromechanics and Flight Engineering (DAFE) of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).
The aim of the project, started in 2014, is to explore the concept of high-speed civilian aircraft. The aircraft is supposed to cruise at Mach numbers 7-8.
According to another source of the agency, Gubanov conducted research in the area of supersonic speeds and high-speed aircraft power units.
Earlier, Rector of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) Nikolai Kudryavtsev told TASS that the university is not Gubanov’s main place of employment. MIPT website mentions Gubanov among its lecturers. The rector assumed that his main place of employment is the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).
On December 3, Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court ruled to arrest Gubanov until February 2, 2021 suspected of committing a crime stipulated by Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code (High Treason). If convicted, Gubanov may face up to 20 years in prison.