By Gordon Corella Security Editor, BBC News
image provided, Getty Images
The British Ministry of Defense recently announced that a former British military pilot had been lured into a large sum of money to transfer his expertise to the Chinese military. The government has issued classified information warnings to these former pilots.
Up to 30 ex-British pilots have taken part in training for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, according to a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense.
He said training and recruiting pilots is not inconsistent with current British law, but that other countries, including Britain, are trying to block such activities.
Western sources said China’s headhunting of pilots is ongoing and has recently stepped up.
“The ex-pilots are being offered big benefits. Money is a big motivator,” the source said. In some cases, he said, it is believed he was offered up to £237,911 ($400,000).
The retired pilots are working to help China understand Western military aircraft and how pilots operate, as well as important information during disputes over Taiwan and other countries, the people said.
“These are very attractive people to pass on such knowledge,” the source said. It is said that
“Recruitment activities have significantly increased”
The British government learned in 2019 that a small number of former pilots had been recruited into the Chinese military. At that time, it was dealt with as a separate case. The Chinese military’s activity temporarily declined as the coronavirus pandemic made travel to China nearly impossible, but is now on the rise again, leading to the warning.
A Western source told reporters that “recruitment activity has picked up significantly.” Active pilots have also been targeted, but none are believed to have responded.
In the British military, pilots operate high-speed jets and helicopters in various units, not just the Royal Air Force (RAF). These pilots have experience flying fighter aircraft such as the Typhoon, Jaguar, Harrier and Tornado.
The F-35 stealth fighter pilots are not believed to be involved in the operation, but China is said to be interested. Some of the pilots recruited by China are in their late 50s and some have been retired for some time, he said. Not only the British, but allied pilots are also being targeted.
Authorities say the pilots are being headhunted through middlemen. It also involved a specific aviation school in South Africa.
There is no evidence that the pilots recruited by China violated secrecy laws or committed any crimes. The warning is intended to deter the activity and to remind active pilots and industry partners that they have a duty to protect sensitive information.
A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defense said: “Decisive steps will be taken to thwart China’s recruitment plans to headhunt active and former British military pilots to train PLA personnel in the People’s Republic of China. ,” he said.
“All military personnel, active and retired, are subject to secrecy laws. We will create new tools to address contemporary security challenges, including this one.”