Flying school at the centre of China’s bold pilot headhunting plot

A South African flying school with operations in “Far East Asia” has been implicated in Beijing’s shocking plot to poach Australian and British pilots to train Chinese armed forces.

A South African flying school has been thrust into a global controversy as it is accused of being at the centre of Beijing’s bold scheme to headhunt former war pilots from Australia, Britain and New Zealand to train Chinese armed forces.

The Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) has been implicated in the plan, which triggered a rare “threat alert” from the UK Ministry of Defence and an urgent investigation by the Australian Department of Defence.

The aviation school has not responded to The Advertiser’s requests for comment, but TFASA group executive chairman Jean Rossouw told South African media the UK had always known about its involvement with China.

“The British MoD (Ministry of Defence) has known for years what we do, and we know they know because they have been talking to some of the British pilots involved throughout. Why have they done nothing until now?” he told Business Insider South Africa.

A public job listing published on the Society of Experimental Test Pilots shows TFASA is attempting to recruit “a number of additional test pilot instructors” to work in “Far East Asia”.

Test Flying Academy of South Africa has been implicated in Beijing's bold scheme to poach Australian and British pilots to train Chinese armed forces. Images from TFASA show a group of prospective pilots "nearing course completion" at an undisclosed location. Picture: TFASA/Facebook

In the listing, TFASA specifically requests applicants who have graduated from the US Air Force Test Pilot School or the Empire Test Pilots’ School in Wiltshire, England.

It is also seeking graduates from EPNER, a top flying school at the Istres Le Tube Airbase in France.

The New Zealand Defence Force confirmed it was aware of “four former serving personnel who have left to gain employment with (TFASA)”.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who was on an official visit to Fiji on Thursday, launched an investigation into the claims amid fears former RAAF pilots had also been recruited to train People’s Liberation Army personnel.

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said he was aware of Australian defence personnel who had knocked back China’s approaches to take part in the training program.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has launched an investigation into the reports. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

According to its official marketing brochure, the TFASA is the “go-to provider of test flight and specialist flying training for Asia and other progressive nations across the world”.

“We can carry out your training in South Africa, or set up in your home nation (or) you can combine the best of both options,” the brochure says, adding it can offer short courses or “complex five-year programs”.

It’s been reported British and Australian pilots were offered contracts worth 250,000GBP ($A448,000) per year to help train Chinese forces.

This week Mr Marles said he would be “deeply shocked and disturbed to hear that there were personnel who were being lured by a paycheck from a foreign state above serving their own country”.

‘Block China with laws’: Military secrets at risk if Australian pilots lured

Australia must tighten laws to prevent former military personnel passing on security knowledge and skills to foreign governments says the Opposition, amid fears China is using big pay checks to lure war pilots to work for them.

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said he knew of “two” former Australian pilots who had been approached by the Chinese Government to train their armed forces.

“I understand that they haven’t participated,” he said. “But approaches have been made.”

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security chair and Labor MP Peter Khalil questioned why the Coalition had not acted to close potential loopholes when they were in government if they were aware of approaches by Chinese officials.

“The irony of the Opposition spending nearly a decade in office and say they’ll introduce legislation on this now,” he said.

“If they knew about it before, why didn’t they do anything then?”

Describing reports British and Australian pilots were being enticed by China with large compensation packages as “quite concerning,” opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the federal government should strengthen laws to prevent it occurring.

The UK has already announced it would take measures to stop such recruitment schemes amid national security concerns, with Mr Birmingham calling on Labor to do the same.

“I’d urge the Albanese Government to be looking as part of this review as quickly and comprehensively as possible as to how we can make sure we have similar protections put in place in Australia,” he said.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called on Defence Minister Richard Marles to introduce legislation. Picture NewsWire / David Clark

Defence and contracted personnel already have ongoing responsibilities as Australian Government clearance holders, which extend beyond their employment with Defence.

It is understood outgoing personnel are reminded of their continuing obligations under the Crimes Act 1914 and other relevant legislation prior to end of their employment.

Opposition leader and former Coalition defence minister Peter Dutton said the reports from the UK were “alarming”.

“If (fighter pilots) worked with an adversary or with another country to share those secrets whilst they were employed in the Australian Defence Force, then that would be a very serious breach of the law,” he said.

Mr Dutton called on Defence Minister Richard Marles to introduce legislation to deal with the issue.

“If there is a hole in the legislation now, the Coalition will support a change which will tighten it up,” he said.

Mr Dutton said if the federal government decided not to pursue legislation, the Coalition would look to introduce its own bill to parliament, which would make it an offence for current or former Australian Defence Force personnel to “disseminate information to countries where they are not authorised to do so”.

Following reports in British media that a number of Australian pilots had been recruited by China on contracts worth $448,000 per year, Mr Marles urgently began an investigation in Canberra.

“I would be deeply shocked and disturbed to hear that there were personnel who were being lured by a paycheck from a foreign state above serving their own country,” he said.

The UK Ministry of Defence said it believed up to 30 former British military pilots were currently providing training in China, and that numerous others had been approached.