China is trying to lure retired British military pilots by handing them hefty salaries. Here’s all about China’s new plans.
China tries to lure in British pilots
China is a paster at strategizing and luring talent from foreign nations. It is now enticing retired British pilots who worked for the military to its shores using hefty paycheques. They are aiming to use the retired pilots’ expertise to level up China’s military. Additionally, it also aims to learn how the western military works, in hopes that it will help in case of a conflict with Taiwan.
“It is a lucrative package that is being offered to people. Money is a strong motivator. Some of the packages are thought to be as much as $270,000,” stated a western official.
Most British pilots are being headhunted by a flying academy in South Africa. As per the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), most being lured hold experience with flying Harriers, Tornados, Jaguars, and Typhoons. British military sources also reveal they first became aware of the situation in 2019 when a small batch of former pilots was hired. However, the induction stopped following the pandemic as air travel was next to impossible. “We’ve seen it ramp up significantly. Current serving officials are also being targeted but none are thought to have accepted,” added the official.
More on the situation
As per the British Ministry of Defence, there is no evidence of pilots leaking sensitive information to China. “All serving and former personnel are already subject to the Official Secrets Act, and we are reviewing the use of confidentiality contracts and non-disclosure agreements across Defence, while the new National Security Bill will create additional tools to tackle contemporary security challenges – including this one,” stated an official. After all, China is famous for reverse engineering tech for military use.