German Defense Ministry Fears Ex-Military Pilots Hired By China May Disclose State Secrets

The German Defense Ministry has said it fears that former German military pilots hired by the Chinese air force in a roundabout way to train fighter aviators may disclose Berlin's classified information and confidential operational tactics

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2023) The German Defense Ministry has said it fears that former German military pilots hired by the Chinese air force in a roundabout way to train fighter aviators may disclose Berlin's classified information and confidential operational tactics.

"China is attempting, via external agencies, to recruit former NATO pilots ... former German Bundeswehr pilots ... A significant danger that not just basic flight proficiency will be imparted, but that relevant tactics, techniques and procedures will be manifested," the German Defense Ministry was quoted as saying by German news magazine Spiegel.

The magazine specified that several retired German military pilots had been hired by the Chinese air force through the Lode-Tech shell company of Chinese national businessman Su Bin, who was sentenced to four years in jail in the United States for stealing "cutting-edge" US military secrets, but, just over a year later, deported to China in exchange for a Canadian couple suspected by Beijing of espionage.

The former German pilots hired in China are allegedly taking part in the exercises at the Qiqihar military airfield near the Russian border, the report said. Berlin believes that the former German pilots have already handed Beijing information about confidential operational tactics and practiced various attack scenarios, including an attack on Taiwan, Spiegel reported.

Chinese employers pay the former German pilots salaries many times higher than the pension they are entitled to receive after reaching the age of 41, the magazine reported without specifying the exact number of the German instructors working for China.