The United States has charged the South African company Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) with attempting to transfer two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft simulators to China, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2022, reports indicated that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) used TFASA to recruit former military pilots from NATO countries. The goal was to obtain instructors and gain access to NATO aviation tactics, procedures, and operational knowledge, as reported by opex360.
Despite countermeasures taken by several countries, including France, TFASA reportedly continued its cooperation with China.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that TFASA developed the simulators under Project Elgar, using U.S.-origin software and technical data related to the Boeing P-8A Poseidon. The project aimed to train Chinese pilots in anti-submarine warfare, improving their ability to detect and track U.S. submarines in the Pacific Ocean.
The two simulators, packed in shipping containers, were seized in Singapore aboard a COSCO vessel bound for China. The interception took place in 2024 under U.S. export control laws.
In response, TFASA rejected all allegations, calling the U.S. Department of Justice’s claims “factually inaccurate and misleading.”
The company stated that the containers held only basic training modules, not tactical simulators or classified systems, and cited the results of an “independent investigation” conducted by China’s COSCO.
