New twist in China links of US-Australian ‘Top Gun’ pilot Daniel Duggan

A US-Australian reportedly trained China’s People’s Liberation Army pilots at a South African flight school being investigated in the UK for recruiting ex-military.

An ex-fighter pilot facing extradition to the United States over his work in China previously worked at a South African flight school being investigated for its links to the Peoples Liberation Army, according to a new report.

Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, was taken into custody in Orange, NSW, last month after the FBI reportedly sought the ex-fighter pilot for his work in China. The US has 60 days to make a formal request for his extradition.

Before selling his joy ride company Top Gun Australia in 2014, Mr Duggan allegedly trained Chinese pilots at the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), according to anonymous aviation sources quoted by Reuters.

A spokesperson for the school, which is facing scrutiny in the UK over its recruitment of Britain’s ex-military pilots, also confirmed they had a previous working relationship with Chinese businessman jailed in the US, Su Bin. Mr Bin arranged for pilots in the People’s Liberation Army to train at the South Africa school between 2009 and 2013, according to Reuters.

The famous Harrier jump jet. Picture: Supplied

“Mr Duggan undertook one contract for TFASA in South Africa over 10 years ago, since when the company has not had any contact with him,” TFASA told Reuters in a statement.

While Mr Duggan’s lawyer, Dennis Miralis, did not provide a comment for the report, he previously said his client has not broken any laws in any country.

“While there is some commentary concerning the nature of the allegations, Mr Duggan’s position is very clear: he denies having breached any US law, any Australian law, any international law. This is a position that he will defend vigorously,” Mr Miralis told Nine outside a Sydney court.

Details of the US arrest warrant and the charges he faces are sealed, and the US Department of Justice told News Corp Australia that it would not comment on the case.

Dennis Miralis, the defence lawyer for former US fighter pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan. Picture: AFP

Mr Duggan was a US Marine Corps officer for over 12 years flying the famous AV-8B Harrier “Jump Jet”, serving in the Person Gulf and reaching the rank of major, according to the Top Gun Australia website.

Australian company filings, obtained by Reuters, show that Mr Duggan listed the same address in Beijing as Mr Bin, who was jailed 2016 for conspiring to hack the computers of US defence contractors and steal US military aircraft designs.

Mr Duggan moved from Australia to Beijing around 2013 or 2014 to work with a Chinese businessman identified as Stephen Su, also known in China as Su Bin, according to a former military pilot quoted by the outlet.

Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles announced a probe into the work of ex-military pilots. Picture: AFP

It was undetermined if Mr Duggan and Mr Bin used the property, Building 1-1, No. 67 Caiman Street, Chaoyang Road, at the same time or separately. It is listed on the US’s blacklist over the unauthorised exploitation of US Department of Defence contractor computer systems.

Mr Bin was arrested in Canada 2014 and in 2016 was sentenced by a Los Angeles court to two-years prison after pleading guilty to conspiring with two Chinese air force officers to hacking the systems of Boeing and other companies.

“Mr Su Bin facilitated a small number of TFASA training courses in South Africa around ten years ago but the company has had no contact whatsoever with him since 2013,” the company’s told the wire service in a statement.