The Royal Air Force is committed to increasing its diverse workforce, so much so that it is not offering jobs to white men to achieve this goal. Many fear that such restrictive measures will undermine the Air Force's combat power.
However, there seems to be one country that is doing well with this decision and is seizing the opportunity: China is luring British pilots in turn to pass on their knowledge of Western planes and helicopters to their Chinese counterparts.
Recently, a senior officer of the British Royal Air Force has resigned, as he fears that measures aimed at increasing diversity and restricting whites may undermine the combat power of the air force, reports Sky News. According to the portal, the officer also complained that the air defense wants to achieve impossible goals in the name of diversity.
Others have accused Air Lieutenant Sir Mike Wigston of endangering the security of the UK with these trials as the country faces challenges not seen since the Second World War in light of geopolitical realignments.
Rishi Sunak, the biggest rival and opponent of the current English Prime Minister Liz Truss, has already attacked the topic and sent a message to the media through his spokesperson:
"The only thing that should play a role in selection is not skin color or gender, but character! That the Ministry of Defense has allowed this decision in the name of diversity is shameful and puts the security of the United Kingdom at risk."
The British Air Force is trying to play down the scandal and denies that there is a pause in recruitment. The continuously fluctuating internal politics over the years does not help the work of national defense.
It is certain that in the air defense they would like to achieve that the number of female employees reaches forty percent by the end of the decade, and the number of ethnic minorities reaches twenty percent.
At the same time, it is a big problem that neither women nor minorities find the military career attractive, so the recruiting officers are not in an easy situation either. The situation is also interesting because the army's flight training system - a fundamental part of the operational air force - is in crisis, and hundreds of young pilots are waiting to be trained.
What England doesn't need, China needs
The Chinese armed forces are recruiting dozens of British soldiers. The purpose of the recruitment is simple: British soldiers are tasked with teaching and training the Chinese how to defeat Western helicopters and planes. Beijing recruits not only from the air force, but also from the armies of Britain and other Western countries.
The situation is so serious that the intelligence service of the British Ministry of National Defense issued an appeal to soldiers and former employees a few days ago.
The problem is not new, according to Defense Minister James Heappey, the recruitment of Chinese has been a challenge for British defense for years.
China's interest in Western soldiers has grown significantly in the last two years,
at the same time as the restrictions caused by the coronavirus are introduced. Currently, the British cannot even give an account of how many people have worked or are working for the Asian country.
China's goal is clear: they are looking for pilots with extensive experience in the deployment of British and NATO aircraft.
It is also clear that they are looking for people who have trained on the top-secret US-led fifth-generation F-35 fast jet. According to a British official, these planes are worth £100 million each and have highly sensitive stealth technology developed jointly by England with the United States for espionage.
The British military leadership is now trying to stop the seduction of pilots: they are trying to tighten safety legislation and employment contracts.
Featured image: Julian Simmonds/ Pool/Getty Images
