Pilot allegedly offered $15 million by China to steal helicopter during major military drill

A Taiwanese pilot is in custody after he allegedly planned to steal a US-made helicopter and take it to a Chinese aircraft carrier.

The pilot was offered $15 million to fly the CH-47 Chinook helicopter to a People's Liberation Army Navy ship during a planned exercise, the South China Morning Post reported. reported. The plan failed when Taiwanese authorities arrested the agent, identified only as Hseih, in August.

Hseih allegedly turned down an initial offer of about $6,350 a month to steal the heavy-lift helicopter, but accepted when the Chinese offered a down payment of $1 million and a total of $15 million, all at once who agreed to evacuate his family to Thailand, according to the Morning Post. The Taiwanese military has eight CH-47SD helicopters, seconds in Flight Global 2024's “Directory of World Air Forces”.

china massive forces off the coast of Taiwan while offering an “integrated development” plan in September.

The CH-47D has a top speed of 177 miles per hour, can carry up to 17 tons of cargo, and has a range of 706 miles. seconds at the US Army Center of Military History.

Alleged attempted helicopter theft isn't the only Chinese spy scandal in 2023. US Air Force Fighters demolished a suspected Chinese spy balloon on February 4, after it transited the United States and flew near sensitive locations, including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The former base houses intercontinental ballistic missiles, while the Air Force operates B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from the latter.

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