Snowden documents show China stole fighter jet plans, U.S. gearing up for cyber war

FORT MEADE, Md., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- According to new Edward Snowden documents, Chinese hackers stole design plans for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, and the United States is prepping for future cyber wars.

The documents have been released by the German publication Der Spiegel, and they show the National Security Agency (NSA) requested $1 billion in 2013 to prepare for cyber warfare. It also references an alliance between the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand called the "Five Eyes Alliance" meant to collaborate on future cyber warfare.

Those in the alliance want the ability to "paralyze computer networks and, by doing so, potentially all the infrastructure they control, including power and water supplies, factories, airports or the flow of money," the article says.

The documents also reference a data breach that occurred at Lockheed Martin where Chinese hackers got the design plans for the F-35 jet. Other Chinese cyber attacks on the Department of Defense have resulted in the loss of information related to the B-2 stealth bomber, missile designs, nuclear submarines and tens of thousands of military personnel records.