Former US Air Force pilot arrested for illegally training Chinese military officers

Former US Air Force pilot Gerald Eddie Brown Jr was arrested on Thursday for allegedly providing and conspiring to provide defence services to Chinese military pilots without authorisation in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the Justice Department said. Brown (65), also known as “Runner”, is a US citizen, had been an F-35 pilot and instructor and led combat missions. He was arrested in in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He will have his first appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26. “The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “When US persons – whether military or civilian – provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department. The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA,” he said. > CASE UPDATE from @NewYorkFBI: Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Providing Defense Services to the Chinese Military https://t.co/JhwhJHS83v@FBILouisville @FBIIndianapolis and @FBILosAngeles provided assistance in this case. pic.twitter.com/3KElqci05y — FBI (@FBI) February 25, 2026 CASE UPDATE from @NewYorkFBI: Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Providing Defense Services to the Chinese Military https://t.co/JhwhJHS83v@FBILouisville @FBIIndianapolis and @FBILosAngeles provided assistance in this case. pic.twitter.com/3KElqci05y — FBI (@FBI) February 25, 2026 “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the US armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities,” Assistant FBI Director Roman Rozhavsky said in a statement posted on X. According to the complaint, Brown was found providing combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAA). This training was a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Brown, a US person under the ITAR, lacked the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to provide that training to foreign persons or foreign military units. Brown’s terms of his contract to train Chinese military pilots was negotiated by Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who in 2016 pled guilty in the US District Court for the Central District of California to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major US defense contractors and steal sensitive military and export-controlled data for the PRC. In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin his work training PRC military pilots, and he remained in the country until returning to the US in early February 2026. The department said that charges against Brown follow similar charges filed against former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan in September 2017. Duggan was charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, as well as for conspiring to engage in international money laundering. The Express Global Desk at The Indian Express delivers authoritative, verified, and context-driven coverage of key international developments shaping global politics, policy, and migration trends. The desk focuses on stories with direct relevance for Indian and global audiences, combining breaking news with in-depth explainers and analysis. 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