Summary and key points: China is actively strengthening its military by recruiting experienced military personnel, including pilots, from NATO and Western countries.
-The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is using shell companies to attract former Western military personnel who gain knowledge of Western aviation tactics and techniques, posing a significant security risk.
– The Five Eyes intelligence partners issued a joint bulletin warning about this threat and advising participants to be vigilant against such recruitment activities, which could have legal consequences.
China's People's Liberation Army actively recruiting NATO pilots: Five Eyes warning
It's no secret that the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its ruling Communist Party of China (CCP) will stop at nothing to obtain classified information on the U.S. military's latest and greatest platforms. As The National Interest previously reported, Chinese hackers have assisted Beijing in obtaining classified design specifications for Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation aircraft, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, which are used in Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon fighter jets.
Additionally, hackers have reportedly broken into dozens of chemical and defense companies and stolen trade secrets, with Beijing believed to have stolen everything from nuclear weapons secrets to genetically modified seeds.
But it may not just be data that is of grave concern to the U.S. military and should be viewed as a very real threat to U.S. national security and the security of America's closest allies.
Last week, the “Five Eyes” intelligence partners, which include the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, released a joint bulletin warning that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively recruiting experienced military personnel, particularly pilots.
“The PLA continues to target current and former military personnel from NATO and other Western countries to strengthen PLA capabilities,” the bulletin warned, adding that the Chinese military has set up private companies in China as well as in South Africa to employ former fighter pilots from Western countries.
“The PLA hopes to leverage the skills and expertise of these individuals to enhance the capabilities of its military aviation operations while simultaneously gaining insight into Western aviation tactics, techniques and procedures. The insights the PLA gains from Western military talent threaten the security of the targeted recruits, their peers, and the U.S. and allied nations,” the bulletin further noted.
In many cases, the “unscrupulous solicitation attempts” may not be obvious because the shell companies do not promote China or the PLA's role. The companies reportedly offer lucrative contracts without providing details about their actual customers.
The Five Eyes warned that while the pilots would not be taught real-world combat skills, they could increase the risk of weakening Western deterrence in a future conflict, and that those recruited could face legal liability.
“Those who provide unauthorized training or expertise services to foreign military forces may face civil and criminal penalties,” the notice warned. Anyone contacted by a foreign recruiter is urged to report them to the authorities, and current and former military personnel are instructed to be careful when posting past employment information on job boards as it may be subject to monitoring by the PLA.
The bulletin comes less than a year after two U.S. Navy sailors were indicted on charges of sending classified information to Chinese operatives and a third, a first class sergeant, was convicted in April of providing documents to a foreign government official.
The name of the foreign power has not been revealed, but it is speculated to be China.
Author experience and expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Susiu is a writer based in Michigan. During his 20-year journalism career, he has contributed more than 3,200 articles to more than 40 magazines, newspapers, and websites. He writes regularly about military equipment, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter also writes about Contributor Forbes and Clearance JobsYou can follow him on Twitter: Peter SusiuYou can also email the author: [email protected].
