Ex-UK pilots in China did not share classified information - flying school

No classified accusation was passed connected erstwhile erstwhile British subject pilots offered grooming to China, a South African flying schoolhouse has said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was taking "decisive steps" to halt Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and erstwhile pilots.

The flying schoolhouse said the MoD was "fully aware" of its work.

The UK authorities said the pilots, immoderate of whom were paid much than £218,000 ($250,000), had not breached immoderate existent UK law. But officials said a South African flying academy was linked to their recruitment.

The South African flying schoolhouse - Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) - has present released a written statement, saying the institution "has been successful interaction with the UK MoD for galore years and they are afloat alert of the quality of the company's business".

It said "none of its trainers are successful possession of legally oregon operationally delicate accusation relating to the nationalist information interests of immoderate country, whether those from wherever its employees are drawn oregon successful which it provides training".

Some of that grooming is understood to person taken spot successful China.

The UK issued an quality alert past week to pass erstwhile subject pilots against moving for the Chinese military.

At the clip of that alert, officials claimed the retired British pilots were being utilized to assistance recognize the mode successful which Western planes and pilots operate, accusation which could beryllium utile successful the lawsuit of immoderate conflict.

"They are a precise charismatic assemblage of radical to past walk connected that knowledge," a Western authoritative said.

"It's taking Western pilots of large acquisition to assistance make Chinese subject aerial unit tactics and capabilities."

Officials besides warned that recruitment had been ramping up recently.

The TFASA said that since 2013 "British tutors person been successful nonstop interaction connected an idiosyncratic ground with the UK MoD and different UK authorities agencies anterior to undertaking training" including with Chinese clients and that nary objections had been raised.

The institution said galore of its tutors formerly served successful the equipped forces but the grooming is "strictly unclassified" and enactment is successful compliance with South Africa and different countries successful which it operates.

It added it ne'er actively recruits from serving unit and the bulk travel from different civilian contractors.

TFASA said it was besides "in the process of contacting the UK MoD" to guarantee that determination are nary misunderstandings.

The UK's alert acknowledged that existent laws were not being breached but officials person suggested that an upcoming nationalist information measure whitethorn marque it imaginable to prosecute specified actions.

The issuing of the highly antithetic alert is simply a motion that authorities whitethorn person been seeking to deter individuals from taking portion by drafting attraction to their activities pursuing interaction which did not dissuade the pilots from continuing the training.

"It surely doesn't lucifer my knowing of work of our federation - adjacent successful status - to past spell and enactment with a overseas power, particularly 1 that challenges the UK involvement truthful keenly," equipped forces curate James Heappey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

An MoD spokesperson told the BBC: "All serving and erstwhile unit are already taxable to the Official Secrets Act, and we are reviewing the usage of confidentiality contracts and non-disclosure agreements crossed defence, portion the caller National Security Bill volition make further tools to tackle modern information challenges - including this one."