The United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission crew trainers that were intercepted while being shipped from South Africa to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on January 15, 2026.
The trainers were manufactured by the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), a private aviation training company that has previously attracted scrutiny in the United States and Europe for its links to PLA training programs.
Modeled on P-8 Poseidon systems
Court filings describe the units as containerized mission crew trainers built under an internal TFASA effort known as “Project Elgar.” The systems replicate the interior layout of Boeing’s P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and run US-origin software and technical data. US officials say the equipment was intended to support training in airborne early warning and ASW missions.
Former Western ASW specialists are alleged to have supported portions of the design, providing expertise that US officials argue could accelerate Chinese naval aviation proficiency.
US alleges pipeline of NATO know-how
In its statement, the DoJ accused TFASA of acting as a conduit for Chinese military training, saying the company “masquerades as a civilian flight-training academy” while transferring NATO aviation expertise, operational knowledge, and restricted technology to the PLA. US officials say Project Elgar was aimed at enhancing the PLA’s ability to detect and track US Navy submarines
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are leading the investigation.
TFASA response
In a statement published on January 15, 2026, TFASA rejected the allegations as “factually incorrect and misleading,” stressing that the seized equipment consisted of non-sensitive “mobile classroom units” intended for procedural instruction rather than tactical ASW simulation. The company said no NATO expertise, US military technology, or restricted defense technical data was transferred, and that relevant export authorities had vetted the units prior to shipment.
TFASA added that it had commissioned an independent investigation in mid-2025, which concluded that no export-controlled material was present.
Previous scrutiny
TFASA was added to the US Entity List in 2023 for providing military pilot training to Chinese customers.
The academy has also surfaced in European probes. In 2022, a Sky News investigation reported that China had used the Test Flying Academy of South Africa as a front to hire former British pilots, offering annual salaries of up to £240,000 ($306,000) to those willing to train Chinese military pilots.
In April 2025, a former French Navy fighter pilot was placed under formal investigation for suspected intelligence cooperation with China after training trips allegedly facilitated by a South African aviation company, subsequently identified as TFASA, linking the academy to wider efforts to recruit Western military pilots for PLA training.
Western defense ministries have since issued public warnings urging former military aviators not to accept training contracts with firms tied to Chinese military programs.
