Over the course of this week, local media reported that Chinese citizens were arrested in Greece after infiltrating an air base to take photographs of Hellenic Rafale fighter jets and the nearby facilities of Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), prompting a state of alert over fears of further espionage operations. Specifically, the incident took place at Tanagra Air Base, home to the Hellenic Air Force’s 114th Combat Wing, which received its first Rafale fighters in 2022.
Expanding on the details, it was reported that the group of Chinese nationals consisted of four individuals (three men and one woman), who were initially discovered by a security guard from HAI and urged to leave the area. However, just minutes later, ignoring the previous warnings regarding the ban on staying nearby to take photographs, the group moved to a nearby bridge from where they could view both the air base and the industrial complex to continue their activities.
In response, HAI security personnel alerted the Military Police stationed at Tanagra Air Base, who were quickly deployed to locate the group, halt their actions, and question them. The local police were also notified and sent officers to detain the Chinese nationals and transfer them to a nearby police station, where it was discovered they were in possession of a significant amount of multimedia material depicting the facilities and the Rafale aircraft.
As of now, Greek authorities are conducting an in-depth investigation to determine whether this was an isolated incident stopped just in time, or if, on the contrary, there have been similar events in the past that could indicate a systematic military intelligence-gathering operation. Given the gravity of the case, multiple security services beyond the local Tanagra police have already become involved.
It is worth recalling at this point that French intelligence recently indicated in one of its assessments that China has been attempting to discredit the Dassault-manufactured fighter jet since the most recent conflict between India and Pakistan, using its defense attachés in various foreign embassies. According to the report, the objective was to sway potential buyers away from choosing the Rafale in their procurement programs and instead opt for Chinese-made alternatives. The focus has especially been on Asian countries where the French candidate has already made its presence known as a showcase of its industrial capabilities — with Indonesia and its potential order for 24 additional aircraft being a notable example.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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