China steps up recruitment efforts for Western military pilots, Five Eyes warns

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、欧米の軍操縦士らの勧誘工作を強化　ファイブアイズが警告

2024.06.13 Thu posted at 19:15 JST

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（ＣＮＮ） 機密情報を共有し合う「ファイブアイズ」を構成する米英豪らの５カ国は１３日までに、中国が自国空軍の操縦士の訓練などに当たらせるため西側諸国のパイロットや他の軍人らの引き抜き工作を強化していると警告する共同声明を公表した。

米情報機関の米国家防諜安全保障センター（ＮＣＳＣ）高官は、工作は積極的に進められているとし、西側諸国政府による最近の行動で一定の歯止めをかけたものの、これに対抗する中国人民解放軍の新たな画策も続いているとした。

米政府当局者によると、西側諸国の戦闘機パイロットは空中戦の戦術から空母への着艦方法までのあらゆる分野で中国軍に教示し得る貴重な情報を握っている。逆に言えば、西側の空中戦闘戦術などを相殺し得る戦術作成の機会を中国側に許すことにもつながるとした。

ファイブアイズにはこの他、カナダとニュージーランドが加わる。今回の警告を発した米国家情報長官室は、中国は西側の空軍パイロットらを引き込むため中国軍との関係を伏せる民間企業を隠れみのにしていると指摘。

ヘッドハンターあるいはパイロット募集などの専門的なネットワークサイト経由で接触を試み、高額報酬の好条件や外国製航空機の操縦の機会などを持ちかけていると説明。特に狙われているのは、軍の操縦士、機関士、航空作戦統制要員や西側の軍事戦術に通じる技術的な専門家とした。

米政府当局者によると、「窓口」となっているこれら民間企業は名目上、独立的な業務への従事をうたっている。南アフリカ、シンガポールやラオスのような第三国に設立されているが、このルートで確保した西側諸国でパイロット経験を持つ、人数にして少なくとも数十人規模が中国軍関係者の訓練に関与しているという。訓練を終えた中国軍関係者は本国に戻り、今度は教官役としてより多くのパイロットの教練に当たることになる。

米国はこれまで、第三国にあるこの種の民間企業に制裁を科すなどして中国側への情報流出の封じ込めを図ってきた。しかし、ＮＣＳＣ当局者によると、中国は米国のこの対抗策にも適応し、異なる国に異なる名前を持った企業を出現させることで圧力をかわしているとした。引き抜きのための接触の手口なども変えているという。

中国は西側の航空戦術に対処するための操縦士の練度や技術的能力の達成に難があるとの指摘はこれまで出ており、航空作戦の遂行能力の向上に長年取り組んできたとされる。台湾の潜在的な軍事制圧もにらみ、空海面の兵力増強にも手を打ってきた。

米軍制服組トップのブラウン米統合参謀本部議長は空軍参謀総長時代だった昨年９月、空軍に宛てた書簡で外国企業が中国人民解放軍を助けるため「米国や北大西洋条約機構（ＮＡＴＯ）加盟国が訓練した軍の人材を勧誘している」とも警告。今年１月には、米国とＮＡＴＯが会合を開き、中国の引き抜きに対抗するための方策を話し合ってもいた。

中国による欧米の戦闘機操縦士の誘い込みについては既に摘発された事例もある。元米海兵隊パイロットが２０２２年１０月、人民解放軍に空母への着艦方法を教えていたとの疑いで豪州で逮捕される事件が発覚。同被告は中国で６年間働いていたとされ、１７年の起訴状によると、米国籍にあった０９年１１月から１２年１１月の間にも中国人操縦士を訓練していた。

 現在は豪州籍を持つ被告は米武器輸出管理法違反に問われている罪を否認している。米側は被告の身柄送還を求めている。

米国内でも最近、中国へ機密情報を漏出させた疑いで逮捕される米軍兵士も目立っている。３月には米軍の先端兵器の機密情報を４万２０００ドルで売り渡していた米陸軍軍曹が訴追されてもいた。

Translation

(CNN) The five countries that made up the "Five Eyes" which share classified information, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, issued a joint statement on the 13th warning that China was stepping up efforts to recruit pilots and other military personnel from Western countries to train pilots for its own air force etc.

A senior official at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), a U.S. intelligence agency, said this effort was being actively pursued, and that while recent actions by Western governments had put a stop on them to some extent, the People's Liberation Army of China continued to make new plans to counter it.

According to U.S. government officials, Western fighter pilots held valuable information that could teach the Chinese military in everything from aerial combat tactics to landing methods on aircraft carriers. To see it from the opposite angle, this gave China the opportunity to create tactics that could counter Western air combat tactics.

The Five Eyes also included Canada and New Zealand. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the US which issued the warning pointed out that China was using private companies that concealed their ties to the Chinese military as a cover to attract Western air force pilots.

It explained that China was trying to contact them through specialized networking sites such as Head-hunters or pilot recruitment sites, offering favorable conditions such as high salaries and the opportunity to fly foreign-made aircraft. Military pilots, engineers, air operation control personnel, and technical experts familiar with Western military tactics were particularly targeted.

According to U.S. government officials, these private companies that acted as "windows" were nominally engaged in independent work. Although they were established in third countries such as South Africa, Singapore, and Laos, at least several dozen people with pilot experience in Western countries secured by China through this route were said to be involved in training Chinese military personnel. After completing their training, the related Chinese military personnel would return to their home country, and this time, they would be in the role of instructors to train many more pilots.

The United States had tried to contain the leak of information to China by imposing sanctions on such private companies in third countries. However, according to NCSC officials, China had adapted to this countermeasure by allowing companies with different names to appear in different countries to dodge pressure. It was also said that the methods of contact for headhunting had also changed.

It was pointed out that China had difficulty in achieving the level of pilot training and technical capabilities required to deal with Western air tactics, and that it had been working for many years to improve its ability to carry out air operations. While also keeping an eye on anticipation of a potential military domination over Taiwan, it had also taken steps to increase its military strength in the air and sea.

Chairman Brown of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top uniformed officer in the U.S. military, in September last year when he was Chief of Staff of the Air Force, in a letter to the Air Force warned that foreign companies were "soliciting military personnel trained by the United States and NATO member countries" to help the People's Liberation Army. In January of this year, the United States and NATO held a meeting to discuss measures to counter Chinese poaching.

There had already been cases of China's solicitation of Western fighter pilots. An incident was discovered regarding a former US Marine Corps pilot being arrested in Australia in October 2022 on suspicion of teaching the People's Liberation Army on how to land on an aircraft carrier. The defendant was said to have worked in China for six years, and according to a 2017 indictment, he also trained Chinese pilots between November 2009 and November 2012 when he was a US citizen.

The defendant, who was currently an Australian citizen, denied the charges of violating the US Arms Export Control Act. The US side was requesting the defendant's extradition.

Recently, a case that stood out was that an US soldier had been arrested in the US on suspicion of leaking classified information to China. In March, a US Army sergeant was indicted for selling classified information on the US military's advanced weapons for $42,000.

So, the "Five Eyes" countries have issued a joint statement to warn about that China is stepping up efforts to recruit pilots and other military personnel from Western countries to train pilots for its own air force etc.  The reality is that any information about the enemy is valuable. The war on espionage has been part of the military history of all countries since time immemorial.

Note:

1. Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (born 1962) is a United States Air Force general who has served as the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 1, 2023. Prior to his appointment, Brown served as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force from 2020 to 2023. (Wikipedia)