Summary

U.S. intelligence agencies report a continuing espionage threat from some close U.S. allies who actively seek classified and technical information from the United States through unauthorized means. Often these countries seek U.S. defense technologies that they can incorporate into domestically produced systems. In this way, the countries can obtain cutting-edge weapons systems without the expense of research and development. The cutting-edge technologies not only provide superior weapons systems for a country's use, but also make these products more marketable for export. This testimony provides examples of several countries involved in economic espionage against the United States.