PARIS — Pierre-Henri Chuet, a former French Navy Rafale pilot and well-known aviation YouTuber, has been placed under formal investigation and judicial supervision in France over alleged intelligence activities linked to China.
The investigation is being conducted by France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI). Chuet was questioned by the agency, his home was searched, and he was later presented before an investigating magistrate during the week of July 20, 2026.
Under French law, being placed under "mise en examen" (formal investigation) means an investigating judge has found sufficient evidence to justify a judicial inquiry. It is not a conviction or a finding of guilt.
Chuet faces four charges:
- Disclosure of national defence secrets by a person entrusted with them.
- Intelligence activities with a foreign power.
- Collection of information concerning the fundamental interests of the nation.
- Delivery of sensitive information to a foreign state.
The case focuses on two trips Chuet made to China in September 2018 and August 2019 while he was still serving in the French Navy. Investigators allege he did not inform his military chain of command, as required by French military regulations.
The trips were reportedly arranged and financed by a South African aviation company. During the visits, Chuet allegedly conducted training seminars for Chinese military personnel, with payments reportedly made through his UK-based company, Mach 3 Management. A British pilot also accompanied him during the sessions.
According to investigative reports, the seminars covered Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) carrier operations and precision GPS landing procedures. France is one of the few countries outside the United States with extensive operational experience in CATOBAR carrier aviation, making such expertise strategically valuable.
The South African intermediary involved has been linked to a broader pattern of recruitment of former Western military pilots. Companies including the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA) have previously been examined by authorities in the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States over training provided to Chinese military personnel.
The French Ministry of the Armed Forces referred the matter to the Paris prosecutor's office on February 19, 2025, leading to a preliminary investigation that was first reported by French media in April 2025.
Chuet has denied any wrongdoing. He told Le Canard Enchaîné that he hosted only two three-day seminars, said the second trip in 2019 did not go well, and stated that he has not returned to China since.
A dual French-Canadian national, Chuet flew Super Étendard and Rafale M fighters from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. He also trained with the U.S. Navy as an exchange officer, completed about 200 carrier landings, and participated in operations in Iraq following the November 2015 attacks in Paris. He left the French naval air arm around 2021 after a medical discharge following a stroke.
Since leaving military service, Chuet has worked as an airline pilot, business consultant, author, corporate speaker, defence commentator, and aviation content creator under the name "Até Chuet," where he has built a YouTube audience of more than 560,000 subscribers.
The investigation comes amid broader Western concerns over Chinese intelligence activities involving former military personnel. Following the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 (Operation Sindoor), French intelligence and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission concluded that China carried out a coordinated disinformation campaign using deepfakes, AI-generated images, and manipulated video game footage to falsely portray the performance of India's Rafale fighters. French officials assessed that the campaign aimed to undermine the Rafale's international reputation and promote China's J-35 fighter.
French authorities have emphasized that Chuet's current legal case is related to the alleged unauthorized transfer of sensitive military knowledge during his naval service, not to his later activities as an aviation commentator or YouTube creator.
The judicial investigation remains ongoing, and no verdict has been reached.
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