Canada says it is investigating how to safeguard the “sensitive skills and information” that members of the military take with them when they retire after reports of former Western fighter pilots selling their knowledge to China prompted Australia to announce a crackdown on unauthorized training of foreign defence forces.
Australia announced Thursday penalties of up to 20 years in prison for providing military training or tactics to a foreign military or government body, including hybrid civilian and military organizations or state-owned companies, without authorization from the defence minister.
Australia’s “Five Eyes” intelligence partners of Britain, United States, New Zealand and Canada will be exempt from the new law.
Canberra declined to name the foreign militaries it was targeting but its announcement follows controversy in Australia, Britain and Canada about ex-fighter pilots providing instruction to the Chinese military.
The Globe and Mail earlier this month reported on how three former Canadian top guns are training advanced flying students in China. Paul Umrysh, David Monk and Craig Sharp are doing this work through the Test Flying Academy of South Africa. Canada’s top soldier, General Wayne Eyre, has already spoken out on the matter, saying the reports are alarming and serve as a testament to the “great power competition” taking place today.
A spokesman for the Test Flying Academy told The Globe it would speak on behalf of the three Canadians. In recent statements to The Globe, it said the training involves unclassified procedures, and materials are derived from open sources or the clients themselves.
The company said it has protocols to prevent employees from sharing details that might be sensitive or classified and it doesn’t include information about NATO.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles introduced the measure to the country’s parliament on Thursday, saying the bill was partly modelled on U.S. laws and will strengthen criminal laws in Australia that already ban the provision of military training to a foreign government by former defence staff.
The new law goes further, stopping any Australian citizen or permanent resident from providing such training without the minister’s authorization.
The intention was to “prevent individuals with knowledge of sensitive defence information from training or working for certain foreign militaries or governments where that activity would put Australia’s national security at risk,” Mr. Marles said.
A spokesman for Defence Minister Bill Blair said former Canadian military members should not be sharing any information that could undermine this country’s security.
“Canadian Armed Forces members are entrusted with sensitive skills and information as part of their training, which is intended to equip them with the knowledge that they need to keep Canadians and our allies safe,” said Daniel Minden, acting director of communications for Mr. Blair. “These skills and information belong to Canada, and it is highly inappropriate for any former CAF member to share this knowledge in any way that could negatively impact Canada’s national security.”
He said the government expects “current and former Canadian Armed Forces members to adhere to the values of the institution,” noting the Security of Information Act applies to both, “and non-compliance with the act could result in serious consequences.”
Mr. Minden said “any behaviour that could potentially harm Canadian national interests is a violation of this trust and will be dealt with appropriately.”
The Globe reported earlier this month that members of Canada’s security establishment recently contacted the three former fighter pilots about their work for the Test Flying Academy.
“Canada is examining how to best update our tools to better protect our national security, and this includes the information and skills provided to our military personnel,” Mr. Minden said.
“These disturbing allegations against former Canadian military personnel are currently under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – and we cannot comment on that ongoing investigation.”
A report by the United Kingdom’s Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament in July outlined the threat posed by former British pilots working for China.
“Former U.K. military personnel are attractive to the Chinese as a way to improve their understanding of how Western planes and pilots operate. We are told that, although China has made advanced technological equipment available to their military, the lack of Chinese experience in the field (i.e. engaged in operations) meant that they did not have the experience of using it because they haven’t been in combat,” the report said.
Retired lieutenant-general Mike Day said Ottawa needs to send a much stronger message than the statement from the office of Defence Minister to show it is committed to changing the laws to make these kinds of activities illegal.
“What I would want to see is a public statement that we are committed to making this a chargeable offence. It may take some time, but we want everybody to know that effective immediately our plan is to hold people accountable. We need to get that policy statement out,” Mr. Day said in an interview.
He said he is not sure whether the penalty should be 20 years in prison, as Australia is proposing, but a formal prohibition will act as a deterrent for those who lack the “moral standards” to work with hostile states, like China, which he noted has threatened Taiwan, built military islands in the South China Sea and harassed fishermen from the Philippines and Japan in disputed maritime territories.
He said Canada produces “world-class pilots” with combat experience and Beijing is trying to lure them as trainers with offers of big paycheques.
“These pilots possess a degree of knowledge, not just of the technology, but the employment tactics of what essentially we and all our allies use,” he said. “I don’t understand how we could allow this to continue.”
Tom Lawson, a retired general and former fighter pilot who also served as chief of the defence staff, lauded the Australians for acting swiftly and urged the government to adopt a similar law.
“Australia acts much more quickly, bureaucratically, legally, legislatively than Canada,” he said. “Australia has gone and done it. They faced the problem, looked at some options and they pulled the trigger … but they have given Canada a model to consider and one that makes it easier for us to the pull the trigger legislatively.”
With a report from Reuters