Code book, encryption materials, hard drives-that plane was loaded with sensitive stuff. This was a major intelligence loss.
Top priority is destruction of code books and computers.
But based on the timing of these rehearsals, defense officials said they are convinced the most sensitive equipment fell into Chinese hands before they could be destroyed. John Pike, an intelligence equipment expert with GlobalSecurity.org, said if digital cassette tapes and hard drives were compromised, it would be a windfall for the Chinese military. They could see U.S. monitoring priorities and recordings of communications networks which would show them what was secure and what was vulnerable. This would be very interesting for them. It was the second confrontation between China and U.S. Navy intelligence gatherers in recent days.