U.S. accuses SA flight academy of aiding China with NATO expertise

The United States has accused a prominent South African flight training company of illegally exporting U.S.‑origin technology and recruiting former NATO pilots to help train China’s military.

On 15 January 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking permanent custody of two mission crew trainers (mobile classrooms) that were built by Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) and seized while being shipped via Singapore to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). U.S. officials say the equipment was designed to teach Chinese aircrews how to operate airborne warning and control system aircraft and to conduct anti‑submarine warfare, using restricted U.S. software and technology. TFASA, which operates flight‑test facilities in South Africa and China, denies the accusations, claiming the units were basic training classrooms with no sensitive technology as first reported by News 24

Verified facts and allegations

U.S. allegations and seizure:

• The Justice Department’s complaint says that in November 2024 U.S. authorities intercepted two Mission Crew Trainers (MCTs) housed in shipping containers as they transited Singapore on a China‑bound COSCO freighter. The units were later seized under U.S. export control laws.

• According to court documents, the MCTs were intended to train PLA personnel in operating airborne warning and control system aircraft and anti‑submarine warfare aircraft. The system’s layout reportedly mimicked the P‑8 Poseidon, the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft, and used software based on a U.S. flight simulator that TFASA engineers enhanced with technical data from Western anti‑submarine platforms.

• The project, referred to by TFASA staff as “Project Elgar”, aimed to give Chinese aviators the ability to locate and track U.S. submarines operating in the Pacific. Former NATO pilots were allegedly recruited to ensure the training matched Western procedures.

• U.S. officials say TFASA “masquerades as a civilian flight‑training academy” while transferring NATO aviation expertise and restricted technology to the PLA. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg described the company as a “pipeline for transferring NATO aviation expertise, operational knowledge and restricted technology” to China. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky warned that the alleged illegal export of U.S. military simulator technology and NATO expertise “jeopardizes U.S. national security” and risks American service members’ lives.

• The Justice Department said the seizure demonstrates the threat posed by China and its enablers in obtaining U.S. military technology, and noted that TFASA had previously been placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2023 for training Chinese military pilots using Western sources.

TFASA’s response:

• TFASA issued a statement rejecting the U.S. allegations, saying they are factually incorrect and misleading.

• The company insists the seized containers were basic mobile classrooms containing individual workstations with commercially available Windows computers and did not include tactical simulators, advanced systems or classified technology. It says the mission crew trainers were designed solely for crew resource management training within maritime patrol aviation and used only publicly available, commercially licensed inputs.

• TFASA claims the shipment was vetted by appropriate authorities before export and contained no sensitive or restricted technologies. The company has published an independent investigation conducted in 2025, saying there is no evidence of illegal software or export violations.

• South Africa’s government has not endorsed the U.S. charges. In comments reported by the Independent Online, Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said Pretoria would engage diplomatically with Washington to ensure the facts are understood.

Context and background

Project and seizure history:

TFASA was established in 2003 and offers flight‑test services, including training for Chinese pilots. The company was added to the U.S. Commerce Department’s trade‑restriction Entity List in June 2023 for providing training to Chinese military pilots using Western and NATO sources. U.S. officials say that the seized mission crew trainers were built using a U.S. simulator program and technical data for anti‑submarine aircraft and that ex‑NATO aviators were involved.

The equipment was seized in Singapore while en route to the PLA, and U.S. authorities filed the forfeiture complaint in Washington, DC. The case forms part of a broader effort by U.S. agencies to curb transfers of sensitive technology to China.

Geopolitical backdrop:

The seizure and complaint come amid heightened tensions over China’s military ties in Africa. Early January 2026 saw South Africa host “Will for Peace 2026”—a China‑led naval exercise involving Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships. According to the South African National Defence Force, the drill focused on joint maritime safety operations and interoperability.

The same exercise drew criticism from South Africa’s opposition parties for including nations under international sanctions. The U.S. allegations against TFASA therefore add to Western concerns about China’s growing military footprint in South Africa.

Reactions

• U.S. law enforcement officials hailed the seizure as a measure to protect national security and prevent adversaries from obtaining advanced American technology.

• South Africa’s government has indicated it will seek clarity through diplomatic channels, while the broader African region monitors the case’s geopolitical ramifications.

• TFASA is preparing to defend its position and has invited stakeholders to review its independent investigation report, maintaining that its exports were lawful.

People also liked

• South Africa urges UN to censure US over Venezuela raid

• Analyst says China led naval drills reveal SA navy’s limited readiness

• China‑led naval exercise draws Russia and Iran to South African waters

Why it matters

The forfeiture action highlights growing competition over military technology and expertise as China seeks to modernise its armed forces. For the U.S., preventing the outflow of sensitive technology is seen as essential to maintaining its strategic advantage in anti‑submarine warfare and protecting American service members.

The dispute also places South Africa, which strives for non‑aligned status, at the centre of a broader confrontation between Washington and Beijing. This case could test South Africa’s export controls and its diplomatic balancing act, especially as it deepens defence cooperation with BRICS partners.

The 2023 inclusion of TFASA and its affiliates on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List followed earlier warnings that former Western military pilots were being hired to train Chinese aircrews. Western governments, including the United Kingdom and Australia, have prosecuted former pilots under national security laws for similar training activities. These measures reflect broader efforts to curb the transfer of NATO‑level expertise to China.

Sources: News 24