The United States has escalated pressure on a South Africa-based aviation training institution after alleging it unlawfully supplied advanced military training equipment to China’s armed forces, raising fresh concerns about the transfer of sensitive defence technology to strategic rivals.
According to sources, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a forfeiture complaint against two Mission Crew Trainers (MCTs) intercepted while en route from the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The DOJ says the equipment was exported without the required authorisation and was intended for use by China’s military.
MCTs are sophisticated, mobile simulation systems used to prepare aircrews for operational missions. US authorities argue that the technology falls under strict export controls because of its potential military application.
In a strongly worded statement, the DOJ accused the Oudtshoorn-based academy of acting as an enabler of Chinese air and naval capabilities. It alleged that TFASA served as a channel for transferring NATO-derived aviation expertise, operational knowledge and restricted technology to the PLA, in violation of US export laws.
The department further claimed the academy was established in 2003 with backing from the South African government to facilitate aviation cooperation with China, a relationship Washington now views through an increasingly hostile geopolitical lens.
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US officials said the seizure of the MCTs underscores what they described as a persistent threat to American national security posed by China and entities accused of assisting it in acquiring sensitive military technology.
Beyond the equipment itself, the DOJ accused the academy of illegally exporting US military flight simulator technology and recruiting former NATO pilots to train Chinese military personnel. Authorities allege these activities continued even after the organisation was sanctioned by the US in 2023.
TFASA has consistently rejected the allegations. In response to earlier sanctions, the academy said it operates under strict internal protocols and a formal code of conduct designed to prevent the disclosure of classified or operationally sensitive information. It maintains that its activities comply with applicable laws and international standards, and that it does not knowingly support any military force in a manner that breaches legal obligations.
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The forfeiture action forms part of a broader US campaign to clamp down on the unauthorised transfer of defence-related technology and expertise, particularly where such transfers could strengthen the military capabilities of countries Washington considers strategic competitors.
The case is now before the courts, with further legal proceedings expected as the forfeiture process continues. The outcome is likely to have wider implications for defence-linked training institutions operating across borders, especially as global tensions between the US and China continue to intensify.
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