In France, a Former Rafale Pilot is Suspected of Passing Classified Information to China

A judicial investigation has been launched in France into a former Rafale carrier-based pilot in the French Navy over the alleged transfer of sensitive defense-related information to China.

AeroTime reported on this.

The former pilot, now a popular aviation blogger, Pierre-Henri Chouet, is suspected of activities that could have undermined France’s defense capabilities.

Following questioning at the French General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), an investigating judge formally charged Chue and placed him under judicial supervision.

Under French law, this status marks the start of a full-fledged judicial investigation and does not constitute an admission of guilt.

Investigators believe that while serving in the French Navy, Chue visited China twice—in 2018 and 2019.

According to investigators, the trips were organized and financed by a South African aviation company that was conducting training for pilots of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. However, the officer did not inform his command of these overseas trips, as required by French regulations.

Pierre-Henri Chue is charged with disclosing national defense secrets, collaborating with a foreign state, and collecting and transmitting information concerning France’s fundamental interests. Law enforcement officials also searched his residence.

The investigation has been ongoing for several years—the French Ministry of Defense referred the case to the courts back in February 2025.

Chuet holds dual French and Canadian citizenship and served in the French Navy’s carrier-based aviation unit, where he flew Rafale M and Super Étendard fighter jets; after leaving military service, he became a well-known aviation blogger.

He completed officer training as part of an exchange program with the U.S. Navy and performed approximately 200 carrier landings before leaving the service due to a stroke.

Instances of NATO pilots traveling to China to train Chinese pilots are not new. China is currently actively recruiting retired military pilots from the United Kingdom and other NATO countries to adopt Western air combat tactics and study the operational characteristics of foreign air forces.

One such instance involved the training of Chinese pilots by a former British F-35 pilot.

Militarnyi previously reported that an assembly line worker at the Dassault factory in France, who was involved in assembling Rafale fighter jets, was detained on suspicion of espionage.