US General Warns Former NATO Pilots to Avoid China-Backed Aviation Companies

Former Western military aviators are being recruited by China, putting their safety at risk while revealing valuable military tradecraft to the Chinese regime.

An F-35 fighter jet taxies out for a training mission at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, on March 15, 2017. George Frey/Getty Images

U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, who oversees allied air forces in Europe and Africa, has warned former North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pilots against working for Chinese-backed aviation companies.

“Once you fly on our team, even after you hang up your uniform, you have a responsibility to protect our tactics, techniques, and procedures,” Hecker said, according to a Feb. 28 statement on the U.S. Air Forces in Europe website.