NSA Tapped Brazilian Air Force One

The Inmarsat phone of the Brazilian Air Force One, the official aircraft of the President of Brazil was tapped by the US National Security Agency.

Wikileaks published yesterday a NSA target list of 29 key Brazilian government phone numbers that were selected for intensive interception including President Dilma Rousseff, her assistant, her secretary, her chief of staff, her Palace office and even the satellite phone in her Presidential jet.

“The US targeted not only those closest to the President, but waged an economic espionage campaign against Brazil, spying on those responsible for managing Brazil's economy, including the head of its Central Bank. The US also extensively targeted Brazil's diplomacy, targeting the phones of its Foreign Minister and its ambassadors to Germany, France, the EU, the US and Geneva,” a Wikileaks press release said.

The Brazilian Air Force one must certainly be equipped with a secure communications system and is linked to a military communication satellite for encrypted voice and data transfer. The Inmarsat phone could be an alternate communication service, said a source familiar with high profile military communication.

This does not mean that the NSA has not tapped into the military satellite communication system too. It has previously been alleged that the NSA has the capability to spy on encrypted communications too.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff undertook a state visit to the US last week with the aim of garnering American investments into her country. Relations between Brasilia and Washington had considerably cooled last year over previous revelations of NSA spying on the Brazilian President.

The US had then assured Brasilia that the phone tapping would stop. However, the latest Wikileaks expose reveals otherwise.