Australian authorities have arrested a former Marine Corps pilot and owner of an aviation consultancy in China and are holding him under special bail conditions at the request of the U.S. government. The Australian Broadcasting Company is reporting that Daniel Edmund Duggan was taken into custody by Australian Federal Police last Friday just as reports broke about Western pilots being recruited to train People’s Liberation Army pilots in tactics and strategy in fighting potential adversaries.
According to the Eurasian Times headline, Duggan, 54, a former Harrier pilot, was helping the Chinese get their relatively new carrier aircraft force in fighting trim. There have been other reports that the emphasis for would-be instructors was on carrier ops. Last week, the U.K. announced it was giving about 30 ex-pat pilots a stern talking-to after they were apparently lured to China with $250,000 contracts through a South African company. Since then, Canada, France and Australia have said they’re investigating whether any of their former military pilots have followed suit.
Duggan is described as a former U.S. citizen but his exact status isn’t clear. Regardless, Australia’s extradition agreement with the U.S. allows the arrest and extradition of Australian citizens by the U.S. Duggan appeared in court last Friday, but the charges are sealed and he’s been held under a section of Australia’s Extradition Act that prevents his release by a judge unless “special circumstances” exist. Duggan can apply for bail at his next court appearance Nov. 4.
