Former British military pilots are being sought out by recruitment agencies in order to train Chinese soldiers, according to the Ministry of Defense.According to the BBC, the Chinese People's Liberation Army may have been trained by up to 30 former pilots.
According to reports, the pilots served in all branches of the British military, not only the Royal Air Force. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a caution to pilots not to participate in the intelligence alert.
Former military pilots are allegedly being paid enormous sums of money to travel to China where they will impart their knowledge to the PLA. The efforts to headhunt pilots have increased, according to intelligence authorities.
A source for the UK Ministry of Defence told the website that although the practise of training and recruiting pilots does not violate any laws, officials from the UK and other nations are attempting to put a stop to it. According to an official, former British pilots might receive up to 237,911 Pound Sterling in exchange for explaining how Western aircraft and pilots function to the Chinese. In confrontations like the one in Taiwan, the Chinese will find this information useful.
Beijing wants to recruit F-35 pilots, but they are not involved, the report said. Some of the pilots are in their late 50s and long since retired from the armed forces. The pilots of other allies have also come under attack. It is claimed that a specific South African flying academy is involved in the hiring process, which is handled by headhunters.
There is no proof, nevertheless, that the retired pilots broke the Official Secrets Act. According to the officials, the message is intended to remind serving troops of their responsibility to preserve sensitive information. Using current and former members of the armed forces as instructors for the PLA, according to a spokesperson for the UK defence ministry, is illegal.