There is strong concern in the military and beyond in Britain after it emerged that China had hired, among other things at great cost, dozens of former British military pilots to train its armed forces to understand Western combat tactics. London speaks of a “threat to Britain’s interests”: at least thirty ex-British wildebeests have been recruited to train members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, according to officials quoted by British media. Western epilot aircraft, which would provide important information in the event of a conflict.
Recruiting ex-pilots would not violate any British law, according to a London Defense Ministry spokesperson quoted by the BBC, but the UK and other Western countries intend to discourage this activity, which is well paid for by Beijing: China has offered up to 240 thousand pounds (276 thousand euros at current exchange rates). “Money is a strong motivator,” commented one Western official.
Britain discovered the first cases as early as 2019 and treated individual cases one by one: the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic and the closing of borders decided by Beijing slowed down the phenomenon that has recently returned, alerting circles of British intelligence. Former pilots, not only in the Air Force, but also in the British Navy and Army, have over fifty years and experience flying military jets and helicopters, including Jaguars, Typhoons, Harriers and Tornados. (but not the F-35s, despite Chinese interest).
The ex-soldiers were reportedly contacted by intermediaries at an aviation academy based in South Africa. To prevent similar cases from happening again in the future, the UK Department of Defense is reviewing the use of non-disclosure agreements and non-disclosure agreements, subjecting active and retired military personnel to the Official Secrets Act, which prohibits sharing of status secrets. with other countries. In addition, a new national security law is being worked on to increase the government’s tools against security threats, “including this one”, the London Defense spokesman said.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
