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Australia investigates whether its own pilots were being headhunted as reports about former UK military pilots being recruited to the Chinese program.
Australia is looking into claims that former UK military pilots are offered attractive packages to be trainers in the PLA, said some sources.
Beijing Allegedly Lures Former Pilots
The investigation was initiated by Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marle, who requested the Australian defense department to find out the allegation of ex-Aussie pilots chosen to be instructors in a South African flight school somewhere in China, reported Sputnik News.
Following speculation that China's armed services have been utilizing remunerative strategies to hire former British RAF jet pilots to help train its very own air force, it is to investigate whether its pilots are being correspondingly headhunted, noted SCMP.
Marle mentioned it would be disturbing if a monthly paycheck entices them from a foreign nation above providing their country.
The department was to start investigating such assertions and return to his office to provide clear advice on this matter.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of Australia, the former defense minister, stated that observations of the reports were "alarming," so the government would have his support for regulations to deal with the problem.
China Seeks for Experienced Pilots
Intentional recruitment of UK ex-pilots was done by a third party with links to a certain South African flying academy, as noted by UK media. Based on the information available that says 30 combat jet pilots with helicopter pilots have been offered about £240,000 in salary.
Based on an anonymous Western intelligence official mentioned by Sky News, the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), with its headquarters in Oudtshoorn, also functions as the Chinese government's headhunting firm, citing Business Insider South Africa.
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TFASA recommended its clients hired competent fighter and tactics instructors for employment and revealed a partnership deal with the South African Civil Aviation Authority in January.
The South African company did not respond to media stories alleging that it employed Australian pilots to collaborate in China, Reuters reported.
In an unsent advertisement message with the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) online, TFASA supposedly declared it was looking to find "fixed wing and helicopter test pilot lecturers" to collaborate at an unknown location in "Far East Asia."
This company intentionally sought applicants who had attended military test-flight schools in the United States or Great Britain. As stated by an Australian member cited by Reuters, the advertisement was emailed to every SETP member.
In a Defensive Ministry (MoD) statement issued on Tuesday, the UK advised former military pilots who supposedly train Chinese servicemen of the risk of prosecution and underlined that it viewed the behavior as undermining the UK's defense capability.
Ministry of Defense stated in a tweet that British pilots are at risk of being sued under the Official Secrets Act and that such a national security bill will also provide routes to litigation.
Despite the reports, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin denied the claims of such recruitment of British pilots to prepare the country's armed services and said at a frequent media briefing that he would be privy to it.
Former Australian Defense Minister Richard Marle claims Beijing's recruitment of UK military pilots and the need to know how extensive it is.
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