According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, the Ministry of Public Security of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Japan arrested Satoshi Sano, a former first class of the Air Self-Defense Force, on the 17th on suspicion of leaking information about the performance of the E-2D AWACS aircraft to trading company employees and violating the secret protection law attached to the Japan-U.S. Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement.
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said, "This is a case that may damage the trust of the people and shake the trust relationship between Japan and the United States, and I deeply regret it." He stated that no information or flow to third countries had been identified. Aviation Chief of Staff Maru Shigeru commented that "efforts will be made to prevent recurrence."
According to reports, around January 9, 2013, Sugano is suspected of displaying information on the performance of the U.S.-made E-2D early warning aircraft designated as a special defense secret at the airborne entry base in Saitama Prefecture, reading it to several trading company employees without permission, and transcribed and handed over the data on USB. Kanno denied the suspects saying he had "not done it."
It is said that Sugano was the head of the planning department of the research and development department of the Air-To-Aviation Development Experimental Group Command at that time.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, Sugano received intelligence from the U.S. government around 2010 during his operations. Around July 2013, the trading company handed over information on E-2D AWACS aircraft stored in USB to employees of another U.S. aircraft manufacturer that was a competitor to the aircraft manufacturer.
The U.S. government received reports from the manufacturer's employees and notified the Ministry of Defense in October 2014 that it was aware of the incident. There seems to be no money between Sugano and the trading company.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the E-2D early warning aircraft was selected from May to November 2014 and decided to purchase. During this period, Kanno was affiliated with a department unrelated to screening, and the Ministry of Defense did not consider the leak to affect the screening.
Kanno retired in 2017 and is now an employee of an aircraft-related company unrelated to the case. On December 26, 2019, the Ministry of Defense filed a criminal complaint against kanno with the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Ministry of Public Security has carried out in-house searches of several locations, including Kanno's residence. It is alleged that the trading company has admitted to the factual relationship but will not be charged under the provisions of the Act.
Around the Secret Protection Act, in 2007 a maritime self-defense force third class Haizuo was arrested on suspicion of leaking core information on the Aegis destroyer.