Submitted by Chris Coughlin, Mar 28, 2007 11:32

Over thirty years ago, Bryant Grinder Corp., of Springfield, Vermont participated in the development of ultra high speed machining technology. Such technology enabled nuclear submarine propellors to be so accurately made they produced no discernable sound signature. Sound signatures, identifiable by computers, were used to identify individual boats, and track all Soviet subs world wide. The technology was licensed to a company in Japan, which manufactured propellors at lower cost than available in the United States. The Japanese company transferred the technology to the Soviet Union. No one was prosecuted.

I was employed as a technical writer at Bryant Grinder at the time. An engineer who flew to Washington at his own expense to alert the Defense Dept. about the risk to national security of the technology transfer, was unheeded by the Defense Dept.. He was fired upon his return to Springfield.

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