Since everyone is open for speculation....what if it was not the plane they wanted......but some engineers who know a crap load about designer chips... implantation into terrorist etc...after all, knowledge is power, these men have or had a lot of it apparently ....I dunno just sayin... However it is probably waiting to be found on the bottom of the ocean somewhere....anywhere....batteries and all :/
The involved engineers were apparently from a packaging facility not a design or apps team.
I agree, the “cargo” on board was the target. I wonder if the plane was put down near a sub that was waiting for them.