Pierre-Henri Chuet, helmet on his head in the cockpit of a fighter jet, takes a selfie in flight in 2017. Behind his smile, the image recalls the military career at the heart of the investigation. Credit: ATE CHUET / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Former naval aviation pilot Pierre-Henri Chuet was formally investigated on July 23, 2026, in Paris. The investigation concerns two seminars given in China while he was still on active military duty. Placed under judicial supervision, he denies any transfer of confidential information. The investigation must now distinguish what came from open sources from what may have harmed the fundamental interests of the nation. He remains presumed innocent.
A Formal Investigation Under Four Charges
In a response sent to ICI Normandie, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the date he was brought before the investigating judge. Pierre-Henri Chuet was presented to the judge on July 23. The former pilot was formally investigated under four charges. The first concerns disclosure of a national defense secret by the person entrusted with it. The second alleges collusion with a foreign power. He is also being prosecuted for collecting information on the fundamental interests of the nation. Finally, the justice system is targeting the delivery of information to a foreign power.
These charges describe several hypotheses that the investigation must test. The justice system is especially seeking to determine whether protected information was disclosed. It is also checking whether data of interest to the country’s security was gathered or handed over. Finally, it is examining the framework of exchanges with Chinese interlocutors. The wording alone does not prove either the reality of these facts or the intent attributed to the person under investigation.
The formal investigation opens a phase of inquiry conducted by an investigating judge. It does not mean referral to a trial court or a finding of guilt. Judicial supervision leaves Pierre-Henri Chuet free subject to certain obligations, the details of which have not been made public.
The custody that preceded this decision was revealed by Intelligence Online. As of July 31, no formal investigation order, prosecutor’s submission, or other procedural document was publicly accessible. The precise contours of the case therefore remain unknown beyond the information shared by the prosecutor’s office.
Two Seminars In China In 2018 And 2019
The investigation concerns two trips made to China when Pierre-Henri Chuet was still serving in naval aviation. Mediapart, which revealed these engagements in April 2023, places them in 2018 and 2019. ICI Normandie specifies that they reportedly took place in September 2018 and then in August 2019, and that they were intended for Chinese military personnel.
According to Mediapart’s investigation, the seminars were organized through a South African entity. However, neither their pay nor their program has been established through contracts, invoices, or publicly released materials. The same is true for the exact identity of all participants. The amounts mentioned in some articles therefore cannot be treated as confirmed.
The content of the sessions is the core of the dispute. Several press accounts mention topics related to naval aviation, carrier landing procedures, or specialized aircraft. But no accessible document makes it possible to determine the information actually presented, its degree of precision, or whether it was classified at the time. Technical expertise does not become secret simply because it is technical. The judge will have to identify the items involved and their protection status.
The public timeline thus stretches over several years. After the 2023 revelations, the Ministry of the Armed Forces sent a report to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Dated February 19, 2025, it concerned one of its former personnel. A preliminary investigation was then assigned to the Directorate-General for Internal Security, which is responsible in particular for counterintelligence. That preceded the opening of the judicial investigation and the formal investigation in July 2026.
A Defense Based On Open Sources
Pierre-Henri Chuet denies having transmitted secrets or confidential information. In a right of reply published by Le Parisien in 2025, he set out his defense before being formally investigated. He said he had only shared information already available to the public. He also maintained that the relevant services had been informed of his trips abroad.
That position contradicts the suspicions behind the investigation, according to which the presentations may have gone beyond the sharing of freely available information. The dispute cannot be settled by the technical nature of the topics discussed alone. It will depend on the actual content of the presentations, the context of the exchanges, the recipients, any authorizations, and the evidence available to investigators.
The known statements by Pierre-Henri Chuet predate the July 23 decision. No recent reaction from his defense regarding the four charges was accessible as of July 31. This lack of comment does not allow any conclusion to be drawn about his legal strategy.
From Naval Aviation To YouTube Explainers
A 39-year-old Franco-Canadian, Pierre-Henri Chuet flew the Super Étendard Modernisé and then the Rafale Marine. He was also an instructor and served aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. After leaving the armed forces in 2021, he turned to civil aviation, consulting, speaking engagements, and content creation.
Under the name Até Chuet, he runs a YouTube channel devoted to aviation, followed by more than half a million people. He also works as an author and commentator on aviation news. This background explains the breadth of expertise that interests investigators. His visibility and media activity are obviously not signs of guilt.
The case mainly highlights a difficulty specific to military career transitions. A former pilot can put professional experience to good use and contribute to public debate. At the same time, the state must protect military knowledge and capabilities whose dissemination could harm national defense. In this case, however, the two seminars took place while Pierre-Henri Chuet was still on active military duty. The checks therefore also concern authorization rules and rules on holding multiple roles.
What The Investigation Still Has To Establish
The main procedural elements are now known. They include two seminars in China, a report from the Ministry of the Armed Forces, and a DGSI investigation. The sequence continues with a formal investigation under judicial supervision. On the other hand, the public file does not make it possible to say that a secret was handed over. It also does not allow the possible operational value of the information presented to be measured.
The investigating judge will have to determine the content of the trainings, their sponsors, and their actual recipients. He or she will also examine the payment terms, the authorizations requested or obtained, and the nature of the information exchanged. The judge will have to establish whether the conduct alleged meets the specific elements of the offenses cited. Finally, he or she will seek to determine whether an intent to harm the fundamental interests of the nation can be demonstrated.
At this stage, neither the motives of the Chinese participants nor the existence of harm to France has been publicly established. The proceedings will have to shed light on activities involving sensitive military know-how. They will also have to fully respect the rights of the defense and the presumption of innocence.