The US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have jointly warned that China’s People’s Liberation Army is “aggressively recruiting” western fighter pilots in an effort to train its own military aviators.
The US National Counterintelligence and Security Center and its Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network partners issued the warning amid concerns that China is continuing to recruit current and former pilots from the US and Nato countries despite efforts to block the practice.
“To overcome their shortcomings, China’s PLA has been aggressively recruiting western military talent to train their aviators, using private firms around the globe that conceal their PLA ties and offer recruits exorbitant salaries,” said Michael Casey, NCSC director.