"Most of the technology in question is currently being used by American troops in
Afghanistan and Iraq, and as such must be protected to safeguard our
military men and women."
On June 22, the Colorado-based company pleaded guilty to one count of
exporting defense articles without a license to China, Russia, South Korea
and Turkey. Rocky Mountain was fined $1 million and placed on probation for
five years.
Officials said the company sent technical drawings of a prism to Turkey.
They said the drawings were used for the manufacture of a thermal sight
system integrated in a Turkish UAV.
"The technical advantage the Department of Defense possesses with regard
to military optics remains critical to the success of our warfighters and
compromising that technology puts our service
men and women at risk," Byron Hogan, a senior agent in the Immigration and
Customs Enforcement agency, said.
Federal prosecutors identified the UAV being developed by Turkey for
which the prism was ordered as Tiha. They said the prism was installed in
the AESLFLIR 300T thermal sight system, developed by the military-owned
Aselsan. The Tiha program was said to have been hampered by technical
delays.
Rocky Mountain said the exports took place between 2005 and 2007.
Prosecutors said technical drawings of a prism penta and laser — used in
combat weapons platforms in Iraq — were relayed to Russia, China and South
Korea.
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