CCP Recruits Western Military Aviators in Anticipation of Conflict with Taiwan, Says Taiwanese Military Expert

June 26, 2024 TruthUSA

According to another military expert, pilots with actual combat experience are scarce in China.

In early June, the Five Eyes (FVEY) alliance took action to prevent Western military pilots from training Chinese military aviators, skills that experts suggest are crucial for Beijing’s ability to potentially target Taiwan.

The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), representing the FVEY (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), issued a joint bulletin on June 5, cautioning against the evolving efforts of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to recruit current and former Western service members for military training.

NCSC Director Michael C. Casey mentioned, “To make up for their deficiencies, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been actively seeking Western military expertise to train their aviators, utilizing undisclosed firms worldwide with ties to the PLA that offer lucrative salaries to recruits.”

Measures taken by the United States and its allies include imposing commercial restrictions on entities like the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), Beijing China Aviation Technology Co. (BCAT), Stratos, and other PLA-linked organizations exploiting Western and NATO personnel, in addition to legal and regulatory changes to prevent former military members from working with China post-service.

A military analyst and commentator named Tony Xia pointed out the scarcity of Chinese pilots with actual combat experience.

He mentioned, “Training a fighter pilot takes a minimum of five years. Furthermore, these pilots are expected to fly for the duration of their military service period,” in an interview with The Epoch Times.

He further explained that the primary reason for the CCP hiring experienced aviators from Western militaries is to replicate Western training systems, methods, and experiences.

“Over the past few decades, China’s fourth-generation fighters have seen little to no actual combat experience,” he remarked.

CCP Preparation for Taiwan Conflict

Zhang Yanting, former deputy commander of Taiwan’s Air Force and current professor at the Political Warfare College of Taiwan’s National Defense University, believes that these CCP actions signify preparations for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Retired pilots bring invaluable combat experience, a lacking element within the PLA. They can share their real-world combat experiences, insights, and effective combat strategies with the CCP military, as per The Epoch Times.

Furthermore, each retired pilot possesses unique expertise, with some specializing in fighter jets, others in anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and some in carrier planes.

Taiwan's armed forces showcased combat readiness drills ahead of Lunar New Year holidays in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 11, 2023. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images) — Taiwan’s armed forces showcased combat readiness drills ahead of Lunar New Year holidays in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 11, 2023. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

Qileyi, a prominent media personality and military expert in Taiwan, noted the CCP’s appreciation for practical operational experience brought by retired Western officers recruited.

He stressed the importance of frontline individuals, stating that apart from skills acquired, these individuals can also provide intelligence and information.

CCP’s Historical Recruitment of Western Military

The CCP’s recruitment of retired Western pilots has been noted since 2022, involving entities like the TFASA in South Africa, which faced sanctions from the U.S. Department of Commerce in June 2023.

TFASA denied engagement in classified military training and employing American and British citizens. However, Daniel Duggan, a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot and Australian national facing extradition to the United States, was confirmed as a trainer for TFASA, teaching Chinese pilots carrier deck operations.

Following over a decade of service in the U.S. military, Mr. Duggan moved to Australia and established Top Gun Tasmania, a company employing former U.S. and British military pilots for tourist jet rides.

Former U.S. military pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan seen piloting in Tasmania, Australia, on Feb. 13, 2023. (AAP Image/Supplied by Duggan family)

Mr. Duggan, holding an Airline Transport Pilot’s License from the U.S. and Australia, has piloted aircraft like the AV-8B Harrier, T2C Buckeye, and A4J Skyhawk. He recently confessed to collaborating with Chinese spy Su Bin, who obtained U.S. military secrets, although without awareness of his espionage activities.

In the UK, reports from 2022 revealed the recruitment of up to 30 retired British pilots by the Chinese military with substantial salaries (up to $270,000 annually). This recruitment occurred through intermediaries, including a South Africa-based flight school, and involved pilots from various branches of the British military, not solely the Royal Air Force.

France is also a target for the CCP, actively seeking competent French instructors to guide Chinese pilots in carrier operations and learn NATO air force strategies. France, alongside the U.S. and China, possesses catapult-equipped aircraft carriers.

The CCP aims to recruit retired Western carrier-based aircraft pilots to train its own pilots and assimilate carrier combat tactics experience from Western nations. Ou Si-Fu, who oversees the Division of Chinese Politics, Military, and Warfighting Concepts at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan, shared insights with The Epoch Times.

Landing fighter jets on narrow carrier decks presents a significant challenge. The CCP requires instruction from Western nations to establish its combat operations expertise. Western carrier combat strategies are classified, prompting the CCP to lure retired Western pilots with attractive salaries.

Mr. Xia highlighted the CCP’s ambitions in developing aircraft carriers as part of its “Deep Blue Dream,” aiming for regional and global supremacy.

He emphasized, “Training carrier pilots is uncharted territory for the CCP. Western experience is crucial for achieving this goal. When the U.S. Navy observed Chinese carrier aircraft operations, they were alarmed by the dangerous [amateurish] maneuvers.”

Mr. Ou cautioned that the CCP infiltrates Taiwanese society through similar tactics, utilizing retired military personnel to obtain military secrets and enticing semiconductor professionals for industrial intelligence.

He urged Taiwan and democratic Western nations to remain vigilant against CCP’s illicit methods aimed at stealing defense and industrial secrets.

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